
(Inss rZfe2. 



Book. 




COL. J. S. CARR. 



THE HISTORY OF flLflMUNCL 



A WORK 

FOR THE DEGREE OF M. A. AT THE UNIVERSITY 

OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



Miss S. W. Stockard. 



RALEIGH : 

Capital Printing Company. 

1900. 






\ ' cA 



TO 

GENERAL JULIAN SHAKSPERE CARR, 

A THANKSGIVING. 



INTKODUCTORY. 



That our American Republic sprang into life full formed 
like Pallas from the head of Zeus seems miiaculous, 
but there is nothing wonderful about either. Both Eng- 
land and Zeus, you know, had been troubled with head 
pains. The English Church and Presbyterianism were sig- 
nificant. Runnymede, Magna Charta, the strength of the 
Anglo-saxon speech against the French and the Latin, the 
Cornish and the Celt, attest to the elasticity and might of 
the English consciousness. Every bill of rights foretold a 
possible America. Moore's Utopia was like an index finger 
pointing to Columbia, 

" The land of every land the pride." 

But to see things in their general light is easier than to 
dissect and vivisect particularly. And it might be pleas- 
anter to write a history of the Feejee Islanders, than to sit 
down among a people whose conflicting opinions have be- 
come a matter of history, and to try to tell the truth, abso- 
lute, unprejudiced. 

An account of the Indians is given, in the first place, for 
the children ; again, because they were the former land- 
owners. Haw River took its name from them., Alamance,* 
in Indian speech, they say, means all men's land, a universal 
sort of country ; and indeed it well might be so named ; Gov- 
ernor Morehead called the lovely sloping fields between 
Stinking Quarter Creek and the Big Alamance, his Eden. 
An Indian grave-yard has been found, not far from Glencoe ; 
the skeletons show them to have been buried in a sitting 
position. Their bones are crumbling back to dust ; two 
hundred years ago their huzzars rang loud and clear through 
forests and savannahs ; to-day a few arrow points, pots and 
skeletons remain to tell the story of that race, so relent- 

* Allemancej Alemany. It may be German. 



6 INTRODUCTORY. 

lessly has time swept them away. Only their names enduring 
stay to us. A thousand years are but as yesterday when it 
is past, and as a tale that is told 

This work is di -proportionate, necessarily so. Some peo- 
ple preserve their family history while others do not. The 
Thompson family history is being prepared by Mr. Ed. 
Thompson, hence that is untouched. 

This history does not contain the whole of life as it once 
was in Alamance, the drama would come nearer that than 
history. I shall perhaps do better than this attempt when 
fortune smiles, and I can have more leisure. 

But those, who dared all things, whose courage was invin- 
cible, who, by their valiant hope and endeavor, gave us a 
name and a home, are too good to be forgotten. They 
came from Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, by way 
of Pennsylvania in wagons to Alamance, a beautiful but a 
wild country, inhabited not by Amalakites and Jebuzites,. 
but by treacherous Indians. The vibrations of the energy 
of our forefathers should still make us tingle with desire 
to accomplish. 

Capt. Stockard lives on the old homestead, that James 
Stockard owned before the Regulation War. The land of 
Michael Holt, extending from Greensboro almost to Hills- 
boro, still belongs to his descendants, enough for the whole 
family. Dr. D. A. Long lives on the land he got by his 
great grandfather from the Crown — " Long Land." Mr. 
W. H. Trolinger, Mr. J. R. Garret, Mr. Van Montgomery, 
Mr. Nathaniel Woody, etc., received their land " to have 
and to hold " by right from the agents of King George. 

It is said that the purest race on earth live in North 
Carolina for these reasons. Her early settlers came, being 
driven by religious and political persecutions, to establish 
homes. The energy and cream of other nations, denomi- 
nations and parties settled this State between 1700 — 1776 
and while many have gone out to people the West there 
has been no immigration since. 



INTRODUCTORY. 7 

Our young people should know the price of their liberty 
and our old people must not forget for 

" Good deeds dying tongueless 
Slaughter a thousand waiting on that." 

If this work meets with approbation in Alamance and 
helps to disseminate a knowledge so dear to us all, if it 
could but be an incentive to a more noble endeavor, then, 
it may be, has been granted one fond wish that I have done 
something. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 



CHAPTER I. 



North Carolina is as rich in noble deeds of daring men as 
Scotland. The knowledge of what Scotchmen endured and 
availed was an incentive to the Scotch. It also gave them 
self-confidence, less to fear in seeming failure, and a long 
look ahead. So may it be to us. 

The fact that the sturdy Scots are given a place in the 
shining temple of fame is due large'y to Percy's Reliques, 
to Burns, and to Sir Walter Scott's works. They merited 
this high honor. Their deeds were seeds that would have 
died in the embryo but for these men who preserved them 
to sow broadcast forever over the English speaking world. 

A comprehensive history of North Carolina would be 
invaluable. For the historian holds the same relation to 
the mind of man as the farmer does to his body. 

But the historian is a man of the most liberial culture, 
large grasp of ideas, leisure, no cares for daily bread, un- 
prejudiced, magnanimous. Such an one the ravens ought 
to feed and manna be sent him from heaven. 

History is a narrative not having beginning or end. Un- 
written history is a labyrinth, a jumble of incidents without 
the silver thread of agumentation or exposition. It is like 
the beads of a rotary, unconnected, disjointed, broken. 
Written history is fossilized life, a latent energy — stored 
strength for new endeavor. Prosperous wise and happy are 
that people who have a noble history and read it. 

To write a history of North Carolina would be work for 
a Hfetime. To write historical sketches of one's county is 



lO THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE 

more within the range of one with limited facilities and 
leisure. 

Alamance was never a barren waste. Four hundred years 
ago the red man revelled here in luxurious nature. He 
could kill more deer than could be eaten on " Stinking 
Quarter " creek. Not only did he succeed in living like a 
lord but "writ his name in water." So the rivers and the 
springs ripple and sing to the music of the names he gave 
them — Altamahaw, Ossipee, Saxapahaw and Alamance. 

Besides the Indian and far above him in might there have 
lived among us great men in the high noon of their useful- 
ness. The names of Murphy, Rufhn, Bingham and Wilson 
adorn the county they have blessed. Their sun has set but 
the good deeds they've done come out to shine like the stars 
that glorify the night. 

In 1771 Chatham and Lord North were "thundering in 
Parliament," the letters of " Junius " were attracting general 
attention, all sorts of political contentions were hurled 
against King George's government, and far away across the 
x\tlantic the farmers of Orange county, North Carolina, 
were making resistance to the oppression of King George's 
representatives — Governor Tryon and Col. Edmund Fan- 
ning — at Hillsboro who were contributing to the oppression 
of American citizens. 

There lived in Southwest Alamance one Herman Hus- 
bands who hailed from Philadelphia and is said to have 
been a kinsman of Benjamin Franklin. Charged with ani- 
mation but without that higher element of bravery, he ap- 
plied a spark to the fuse that flamed into the conflagration 
that burnt up the system of English domination. 

Husbands lived among men driven from home by civic 
and religious persecutions. Having prevailed over man and 
nature their spirit of freedom was epidemic. No wonder 
that he found it an easy task to organize such men into the 
famous " Regulators." These were to help each other in 
all trouble growing out of a refusal to pay the unlawful 
demands of the Rulers. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. II 

On Ma}^ 1 6, 1771 Governor Tryon met about two thou- 
sand Regulators on the plains of Alamance. Then was the 
first blood shed for freedom on American soil ; that was the 
first open resistance against the oppression of King George's 
rule. The battle of Alamance, N. C, and not the battle of 
Lexington, Mass., was the beginning of the Revolutionary 
war. It was a fight against the primal cause of the war for 
American Independence. 

It is interesting to know the names of some of the people 
who lived here then. By tradition we know who made 
opposition to tyranny. In some cases the old spelling shows 
the nationality. On the west side of Haw river, or Saxa- 
pahaw river, which runs length-wise of the county from 
north to south were the Houltz, the Strolingers, the Longs, 
the Stockards, the Trowsdales, the Freelands, the Albrights, 
the Shavers or Shepherds, the Whitesides now Whitsetts, 
the Thompsons, the Newlins, the Grimes now Grahams 
here, but not changed in other parts the Isleys, the Sharpes 
and the Hornadays. The people on the east side of the 
river were Binghams, Mebanes, Whites, Glasses, Dixons, 
Dishongs, Griffises and Scotts 

" Hornaday " has a bit of history showing how some of 
these names were given. A ship in crossing the ocean was 
detained and the supply of drinking became low. The 
little fellow who carried around the drinks gave each a horn 
a day. So while he gave them drinks, they gave him a 
name that .stuck — " Horn-a-day." Strolingers, or Trolin- 
gers, were those who strolled around The Albrights were 
noblemen from Albrecchtsberg — the name of their castle in 
Germany. The word Houltz is kin to the word Holstein, 
a German word meaning Wood-stone. 

The first meeting in North Carolina for the construction 
of a railroad was held in Alamance at the home of William 
Albright, near Cane creek, in 1828. Dr. Joseph Caldwell, 
just returned from Europe, came to this meeting full of 
railroad ideas from Germany. His plan was to build a road 



12 THK HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

from Morehead through the centre of the State to the moun- 
tains, the cars to be drawn by mnles. It is pathetic to 
think that the section where this meeting was held is still 
without railroad. 

The railroad, then was a bone of contention between the 
two political parties — the Whigs favoring it while the Demo- 
crats opposed. The Legislature of 1848, however, decided 
to build a road from Goldsboro to Charlotte, Orange then 
had four Representatives, among them Hon. Giles Mebane, 
a Whig, and Col. John Stockard, a Democrat. Hon. John 
Berry was Senator from this district. Hon. Calvin Graves, 
of Caswell, President of the Senate, cast the deciding bal- 
lot in favor of the railroad. As he was a Democrat, this 
Tuined him politically. 

The men in this section who favored railroads and helped 
to build this one were Hon. Giles Mebane, Gen. Trolinger 
and a few others perhaps. It runs by Haw River instead 
of the county seat, some say, because Gen. Trolinger had 
property there and influence w.th the company ; others that 
the people in Graham hated the railroad and gave the com- 
pany several hundred acres of land a few miles away that 
the shops might be built there and not at Graham, So the 
gods of the iron horse smiled on Burlington, and two towns 
that together would make a city with a vigorous growth, 
whose combined efforts would have enriched the county 
manifold are still apart. A straw may change the current 
of a mighty stream. 



CHAPTER IT. 



"Alamance is divided into Huronian and Laurentian 
belts, by a line passing southeast of Graham diagonally, 
from northeast to southwest, across the county." This line 
begins about Mt. Willing on the east, crosses Thompson 
township, Albright township, and a corner of Coble's and 
Patterson's each to Kimeville. " The Laurentian occupies 
the northern and the Huronian the southern section. The 
division is not at all sharp nor is the line of division straight, 
but rather like the sutured markings on the skull," says 
Mr. Spoon. 

It may be well to say that these belts belong to the arch- 
aeon, or old, age of the world, in whose rock there is 
scarcely any sign of life. About the only animal living 
then to leave his mark on time was the ''White Dawn.'* 
This was hardly an animal at all ; but in the absence of all 
animals having backbones, this specimen will do to count. 
The Laurentian is older than its sister, the Huronian, but 
both are very old, if not the rocks primeval. 

Then there are the Triassic sections — much younger, 
almost as far removed, you know, as we from our kingly 
ancestors of Germany. In this period snakes and croco- 
diles were the potentates of earth, then reveling in grand 
mysteries. Let us hope their paradise lost may never be 
regained. A slice of their history they left in the Major 
Hills and the Stoney Creek Mountains — so much more care- 
ful than the Eozoon Canadense were they to write on cur- 
tains of rocks and tables of stone their laws in hieroglyphics. 

" Nearly all of Faucette and Pleasant Grove townships 
have a granitic soil, formed by the decomposition of a 
granite parent rock which underlies nearly the whole of 
this section, forming an immense deposit of valuable build- 
ing" stone." 



14 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

" This stone," says Mr. Spoon, " is equal to, if not sur- 
passing, the Mt. Airy granite." 

This granite is not much beneath the surface and is easy 
of access — latent energy, longing to be awakened like Sleep- 
ing Beauty by the knightly Prince of Labor. Jordan 
Creek, Quarry Creek, and Dickey Quarry deserve attention. 
Faucette township is particularly rich. 

Granite, you know^, is composed of different kinds of 
grains or lumps cemented by Nature's own process of hold- 
ing them together. Look at a block of granite. The bluish 
glossy specks are quartz ; the opaque white, or rosy color 
are feldspar ; the glistening particles are mica, and the black 
hornblende. These are different kinds of rocks, the horn- 
blende, darker, heavier and basic, the opposite of quartz 
and feldspar, which are acidic, and they are brought together 
and cemented hard and fast, which, in turn, light, air, heat 
and water join hands to overcome. The soil of the north- 
ern section of our county is of this decomposed granite. 
There, too, are found other ingigneous rocks. 

In the southern section also the rocks show evidence of 
extreme heat, crystalized instead of stratified — for lava 
cooled will contain crystal, the deposits of water for ages 
packed tight together will give stratified rock, of which I 
think we have none. Cane Creek Mountains are of Huro- 
nian slate. The Major Hills are Triassic ; there is found 
in large quantities the finest kind of whetstone. 

Alamance has no coal ; Laurentian and Huronian periods 
are by far too old and innocent for any thing like the highly 
civilized complexity of coal. 

But auriferous quartz is found throughout the entire 
southern part on both sides the line dividing the Huronian 
slate from the Laurentian granite, though no profitable 
mines have as yet been found. Probably the best is in 
Newlin township, on Stafford's or McVey's farm— a quartz 
mine, I think, the gold in it, like honey comb. About 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 1 5 

$500 has been taken, but like the Regulator's decision in 
the Hillsboro court — "cost exceeds the whole." 

The State geologist says Alamance belongs to the " Caro- 
lina Belt of Gold." "The Western saying that 'a good 
gold mine is one which will pay dividends under poor 
management' would exclude." he says, "all Southern gold 
mines from even this distinction." So Alamance may not 
expect bonanzas except in her golden tobacco belt, rightly 
handled at Alamance markets. 

Southern Alamance belongs to a strip extending through 
Person, Orange, Chatham and Randolph, against whose 
metamorphosed slates and schists, volcanic, the sounding 
seas once washed their waters — when time, you know, owed 
no tribute to man's dominion and Mother Nature foro-ot to 
put in much gold, knowing that it meant contentions and 
disasters. 

Our land is old, you .see, but without the castles of Cologne; 
old, but innocent of the history of Rome, of Palestine, and 
Colchis and Phocis ; oldest of all, but still interestingly 
young and charmingly undeveloped. 

" By far the most valuable mineral resource is its build- 
ing stone and excellent as well as abundant supply of stone 
for macadamizing roads and streets. Alamance county has 
enough surface stone to macadamize every mile of its public 
roads, which is an immense financial factor in the growth 
of every industry." 

Mr. E. M. Cook estimates the average available energy 
of Haw River, which is the chief water-power, to be 250 
horse-power. From this it is calculated that in Alamance 
county Haw River and the Great Alamance combined have 
an available energy of not less than 4,000 horse-power, a 
large part of w^hich is not utilized at present, awaiting the 
magic wand of capital and brains, for it takes that to make 
money. 

Alamance contains 500 miles of public road ; 240,000 
acres of land. The census of 1890 gives her a population 



1 6 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

of 18,271 ; there are 2,782 white taxable polls ; 788 negro 
taxable polls ; whites have $4,550,006 taxable property ; 
negroes $87,897. There are 19 cotton mills in Alamance, 
besides additional improvements in the course of erection. 
One overall factory is in operation — to move in new and 
larger quarters soon, the pride of Graham. One woollen 
mill at Cane Creek ; one cofiBn factory ; two sash, blinds, 
etc., factories ; one machine shop, another soon to be, and 
one knitting mill. 



CHAPTER IIT. 



THE HOME OF THE RED PEOPLE. 

Alamance was never a barren waste. Less than two 
hundred years ago the Red men reveled here in luxuriant 
nature. In 1700 John Lawson, an Englishman, set out 
to see the world and landed in Carolina. In 1660, you 
know there were colonies along our coast. He found the 
inhabitants "veiy courteous and civil, especially the Gov- 
ernor, to whose good company and favor we were much 
obliged." 

This kindness did not detain him. He came to see the 
fair land destined to be our own. Passing up the Santee 
country in South Carolina he parted from his company and 
crossed over the line resolving to see North Carolina. Best 
of all he kept a diary. 

Because his history is rare and because it describes this 
section it is not amiss to quote largely from it. Setting out 
from the Sapona Indians south of us he crossed several 
creeks " convenient for watermills, and a pretty river called 
Rocky river, having a ridge of high mountains running 
from its banks to the eastward, and disgorging itself into 
the Sapona, so that there is a pleasant neck of land betwixt 
both rivers. You can scarce go a mile without meeting 
with one of these small, swift currents, there being no swamp 
to be found, but pleasant, dry roads all over the country. 
Next day we had fifteen miles farther to the Keyanwees. 
The land is more mountainous, but extremely pleasant. 
The valleys are very rich. At noon we passed over another 
stony river called Hilhwaree affording as good blue stone 
for mill stones as that from Cologne. The veins of marble 
are very large and curious on this river. Five miles to the 
northwest stands the Keyanwee's town." That was south- 
west of Alamance. Again they — Lawson and his Indian 
2 



1 8 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

guide pass over two pretty rivers, " something bigger than 
Highwaree but not quite so stony. We took these two 
rivers to make one of the northward branches of Cape 
"Fair" river, but afterwards found our mistake. 

" The next day we traveled over very good land, but full 
of freestone and marble, which pinched our feet severely. 
We took up our quarters in a sort of savannah ground that 
had few trees in it. The land was good and had several 
quarries of stone. 

" Next morning we got our breakfast of parched corn, hav- 
ing nothing but that to subsist on for above one hundred 
miles. All the pine trees were vanished, for we had seen 
none for two days,. We passed through a delicate rich soil 
this day ; no hills but pretty risings and levels which made 
a beautiful country. We passed three rivers this day, the 
first about the bigness of Rocky river, the other not differ- 
ing in size. Then we made not the least question, but that 
we had passed over the northwest branch of Cape Fair, 
travelling that day about thirty miles. We were much 
taken with the fertility and pleasantness of the neck of land 
between these two branches, and no less pleased that we 
had crossed the river which used to frighten passengers 
from fording it. At last determining to rest on the other 
side of a hill which we saw before us ; when we were on 
the top thereof, there appeared to us such another delicious, 
rapid stream as that of Sapona, having large stones, about 
the bigness of an ordinary house, lying up and down the 
river. As the wind blew very cold at northwest and we 
were very weary and hungry, the swiftness of the current 
gave some cause to fear ; but at last we concluded to vent- 
ure over that night, accordingly we stripped and, with great 
difficulty got safe to the north side of the famous Haw 
river, by some called Reatkin ; the Indians differing in the 
names of places according to their several nations. It is 
called Haw river from, the Sissepahaw Indians, who dwell 
upon this stream, which is one of the main branches of 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. ig 

Cape Fair, there being rich land enough to contain some 
thousands of families. This river is much such another as 
Sapona, both seeming to run a vast way up the country. 
Here is plenty of good timber, and especially of a scaly- 
barked oak ; and as there is stone enough in both rivers, 
and the land is extraordinary rich, no man that will be con- 
tent within the bounds of reason, can have any grounds to 
dislike it. 

As soon as it was day we set out for the Ochonechy town, 
it being, by estimation, twenty miles away. We were got 
about half way (meeting great gangs of turkies) when we 
saw at a distance, thirty loaded horses, coming on the road 
with four or five men, on other jades driving them. They 
were from Virginia. The leader's name was Massey born 
near Leeds in Yorkshire, after a few questions he gave us 
two wheaten biscuits and a little amunition, and advised us 
to strike down the country for Ronoack, and not think of 
Virginia because of the Sinnagers, of whom they were 
afraid, though so well armed and numerous. They per- 
suaded us also to call upon one Will Enoe, as we went to 
Adshusheer, for that he would conduct us safe among the 
English, giving him the character of a very faithful Indian, 
which we afterwards found true by experience. The Vir- 
ginia men affirmed that they had never seen twenty miles 
of such extraordinary rich land lying all together like that 
betwixt Haw river and the Ochonechy town." 

" Having taken our leave of each other we set foiward, 
and about three o'clock reached the town. The Indians 
brought us good fat bear and venison. Their houses were 
hung with a good sort of tapestry, as fat bear and dried 
venison ; no Indians having greater plenty than these. The 
savages do indeed, still possess the flower of Carolina, the 
English enjoying only the fag end of that fine country. 
We had not been in the town t^vo hours when Enoe Will 
came into the King's cabin, which was our quarters. We 
asked him if he would conduct us to the English, and what 



20 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

he would have for his pains ; he answered he would go 
with us, and for what he was to have he left to our dis- 
cretion." 

"The next morning we set out with Enoe Will towards 
Adshusheer, leaving the Virginia path, and striking more 
to the eastward for Ronoack. Several Indians were in our 
company belonging to Will's nation, who are the Shoccories, 
mixed with the Enoe Indians, and those of the nation of 
Adshusheer. Enoe Will is their chief man, and rules as 
far as the banks of Reatkin or Haw river. It was a sad, 
stony way to Adshusheer. We went over a small river 
by Ochonechy and, in this fourteen miles, through several 
other streams which empty themselves into the branches 
of Cape Fair. " The stony way made me quite lame, so 
that I was an hour or two behind the rest ; but honest Will 
would not leave me, but bid me welcome when we came to 
his house, feasting us with hot bread and bear's oil. There 
runs a pretty rivulet by this town. They brought us two 
cocks and pulled their larger feathers off, never plucking 
the lesser, but singeing them off. I took one of these fowls 
in my hand to make it cleaner than the Indian had, and 
dressing it which they never do, but cook the fowl whole. 
It kept up such a struggle for a considerable time that I 
had much ado to hold him in my hands. The Indians 
laughed at me and told me that Enoe Will had taken the 
cock of an Indian that was not at home, and the fowl was 
designed for another use. I conjectured that he was de- 
signed for an offering to their god, who, they say hurts 
them — which is the devil." 

" Our guide and landlord, Enoe Will, was one of the best 
and most even tempered that ever I met with in an Indian, 
being ahvay ready to serve the English, not out of gain but 
real affection ; which makes him apprehensive of being 
poisoned by some wicked Indians and was therefore very 
earnest with me, to promise him to revenge his death, if it 
should so happen. He brought some of his chief men into 



The history of alamance. 21 

his cabin, and two of them having a drum and a rattle sung 
by us as we lay in bed. This they did to welcome us to 
their town. Though we fell asleep they continued their 
serenade till morning. 

'■ Then we set out with our guide for a nation about forty; 
miles from Adshusheer, called the lower quarter. On the 
next day we came to the Indian town, which was a parcel 
of nasty, smoky poles much like the Waterrees ; their town, 
having a great swamp running through the middle of it.. 
The land begins here to abate of its height and has some 
few swamps. Most of the Indians have but one eye, but 
what mischance or quarrel has bereaved them of the other 
I could not learn. They had very long arrows headed with 
pieces of glass. These were shaped neatly like a dart. We 
had not been long in this town when two of our company^ 
(that had bought a mare of John Stewart) came up. Next day 
we went ten miles and were stopped by the freshets of Enoe 
river which is a branch of the Neus Will had a slave, a 
Sissipahaw Indian by nation, who killed us several turkies- 
and other game." 

Notice the names Lawson gives. Words never die, and 
rivers never run dry. Gen. J. S. Carr's plantation on the 
Enoe river is Oconeechee Farm, Haw River, Haw Creek,, 
Haw Fields and Saxapahaw are all named for the Sissipa- 
haw Indians. Mississippi is also like it. They are fairy 
inspirations and mystic breath of days now long gone by. 



CHAPTER 1^ . 



THE SAXAPAHAW INDIANS. 

The land makes the man and the converse is true — the 
man makes the land. What both amount to depends mostly 
•on the man. Alamance was in Lawson's day, and still is, 
an undeveloped country. That historian remarked that 
our streams afforded excellent mill-sites and he seems like 
a seer looking plainly into the future ; for theory and hope 
are alike prophetic. They often yield more than the mind 
of man can grasp. There are no chance occurrences, but 
only consequence ; life does not happen, it becomes. 

The people who used to live in Alamance and named 
for us our church, Haw Fields, our streams, Haw River and 
Haw Creek, our factories, Ossepee, Altamahaw and Saxa- 
pahaw, thus making our places distinctive, are worthy of 
remembrance. It is a mystery that they could be forgotten 
in so short a time ; but they 

" Folded their tents as the Arabs 
And as silentlj' stole away." 

To aid our memory and to help us realize what once was 
iiere, besides the names, there are only arrow-heads, two or 
three traditional grave yards and Indian stone pots or corn- 
mills. One of the Jatter sets at the well in J. W. Stock- 
ard's yard for the chicken's drinking-trough. 

Lawson said Indian " pots are often found underground 
and at the foot of the banks where the water has washed 
them away. They are, for the most part, broken in pieces ; 
but we find them of a different sort in comparison of those 
the Indians use at this day, who have had no other ever 
since the English discovered America." He was speaking 
of a prehistoric pot somewhat unlike that used by the Indi- 
ans he knew. " The bowels of the earth cannot have 
altered them, since they are thicker, of another shape and 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 23 

composition, and nearly approach the urns of the ancient 
Romans." 

Though belonging to the stone age these people were 
quick to get guns and knives, and seemed to know instinc- 
tively how to use them since they lived by hunting, fishing 
and raising corn. 

An Indian banquet consisted of turkey, venison, buffalo, 
and bear, a Brunswick stew thickened with crushed wal- 
nuts, hickorynuts, acorns, chinquepins, hazelnuts, and 
blackgum berries — the stone sinking and the kernels giv- 
ing an excellent flavor. They had green corn roasted in 
the shuck, parched corn was a common diet, also a sort of 
hominy. They taught us the use of Indian corn and the 
different ways of serving it, we taught them the abuse of 
it — whiskey. 

They lived in wigwams built of bark, which are rourd 
like an oven to prevent any damage by hard gales of wind. 
They make the fire in the middle of the house and have a 
hole at the top of the roof right above the fire, to let out 
the smoke. These dwellings were as hot as stoves, where 
the Indians sleep and sweat all night. Though their homes 
were much infested with fleas yet there was no bad odor. 

The bark they make their cabins withal is generally 
cypress or red or white cedar, and sometimes pine bark. 
For building their dwellings they got long poles of pine, 
hickory or any other wood that will bend. These they 
warmed in the fire which makes them tough and fit to bend. 
The thickest ends they would stick in the ground in a 
circle or elipse two or more yards in diameter. Then they 
bent the tops and tied them together with bark, and brace 
with other poles. They covered it all over with bark to 
make it tight and warm. They had out houses also, for 
their grain and skins. 

Our Indians were well formed, differing in stature, but 
rather tall and straight — no bending forward or stoop in 
the shoulders unless very old. Their limbs and hands and 



24 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

feet were well shaped and beautiful. Their eyes were 
black or a dark hazel, the white streaked with red. 

Their skin was of a tawny color, more brilliant because 
of a cosmetic made of bear's oil, mixed with walnut hulls 
and sumach. They were never baldheaded, either, because 
they had no occasion to pull it out when in a fit of calcu- 
lating loss and gain, or because of the excellence of their 
hair ointment, which they used often and well. This pre- 
server of the hair was bear's oil, mingled with the powder 
made from the root of the blood-root, a white flower bloom- 
ing early in the spring, and found not very plentiful in 
these parts. Their teeth were yellow from smoking 
tobacco. 

They let their nails grow very long, which they said was 
the use of nails, and laughed at the English for pairing 
theirs and so disarming themselves. 

Their gait was sedate and majestic, their bodies strong 
and robust — no blind or cripples among them. They were 
dexterous and steady both as to their hands and feet. Their 
bridges over Haw River were poles laid from the bank to 
the first big rock, and so on across. They taught us to 
walk over deep brooks and creeks on poles They didn't 
mind walking the ridge pole of a barn roof and looking 
down the gable end, would spit upon the ground as uncon- 
cerned as if walking on terra firma. 

They did not work as we and were not inventive, but 
they could learn a trade easily. Of course we are inter- 
ested in their games, their dances and whatever else they 
did and thought. 

Their chiefest game was a sort of arithmetic, which was 
managed by a parcel of small, split reeds, the thickness of 
a small bent ; these were made very nicely, so that they 
part and are tractable ia their hands. They were fifty-one 
in number ; their length about seven inches. When they 
played they threw part of them to their antagonist. The 
art was to discover upon sight how many you had and 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 25 

what you threw to him that plays with you. Some are so 
expert at their numbers that they will tell ten times to- 
gether what they threw out of their hands." Another 
game they play with persimmon seeds like dice, or " heads 
and tails." Then they had a kind of ball and bat game. 

The Indians were great gamblers, often playing away 
their estate and even themselves. This they never took 
seriously, but would laugh it off. They simply accepted 
things as they came and never felt disappointed. Their 
dances show their hilarity. 

These dances were of a different nature ; and for every 
sort of dance they had a different tune which is alloted for 
that dance ; as, if it be a war dance, they had a warlike 
song wherein they expressed, with all passion and vehe- 
mence imaginable, what they intended to do with their 
enemies ; how they would kill, roast, scalp, beat and make 
captive such and such numbers of them ; and how many 
they have destroyed before all these songs were made new 
for every feast. The king and war captain appoints some 
one to make these songs 

Besides war-dance feasts, they had those of another na- 
ture, as when several towns or nations had made peace. 
Then the song was adaptable — well-pleasing to all engaged, 
and related how the bad spirit made them go to war with 
each other, but it should never be so again ; but their sons 
and daughters should marry, and the two nations should 
love one another and be one people. 

They had a third sort of feast-and dance, which was when 
the harvest-home was ended and in the spring — like those 
of Bible time. One to return thanks, like our Thanksgiv- 
ing, the other to ask a blessing for the succeeding year. 

To encourage the young and to teach them reverence, 
the old Indians set up a sort of idol dressed like an Indian 
with lots of money — wampum made of shell hung round 
their neck. " The young men dare not approach this im- 
age, for the old ones will not suffer them to come near him, 



26 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

but tell them that he is some Indian warrior that died long 
ago and now is come amongst them to see if they work 
well ; which if they do, he will go to the good spirit and 
pray him to send them plenty of corn, and to make the 
young men all expert hunters and mighty warriors." All 
this time the king and old men sit around the image in 
profound silence, and deep respect and veneration. 

All these feasts are carried on something like fairs where 
people for miles and miles around bring their several com- 
modities for sale. 

The school for their young men was a most abominable 
custom, called husquenawing. About once a year or less 
they took so many of their young men as they think are 
able to undergo it and " graduated " them to make them 
obedient and respectful to their elders — to be taught good 
breeding. These boys they confine in a cabin made strong 
for their reception and kept there guarded for six weeks or 
so in darkness and almost starvation. The little food they 
get was mixed with all manner of filth and intoxicating 
plants. They went raving mad and emaciated, some dying. 
When turned out they were dumb and ghastly. The sav- 
ages thought if it were uot for this husquenawing it would 
be impossible to keep them subjugated, besides they said it 
toughened the strong ones and killed the weak. The girls 
suffered the same, but it was not co-educationa!. 

The Indian was the child of nature. He knew materia 
medica and was very skillful in the use of plants and re- 
storing health. He believed in ghosts, witches and conju- 
ration just as well ; and the good and bad spirits — the good 
spirit who loved and helped them, and the bad spirit who 
tried to destroy them. He believed in the immortality of 
the soul. Their priests were their conjurors and doctors. 
They were like the Jews in many respects, you see ; they 
made an offering of their first fruits, and the most serious 
sort of them throw into the ashes, near the fire, the first bit 
or spoonful of every meal they sit down to. The}^ name 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 2'J 

the months thus ; one is the herring month, another the 
strawberry month, another the mulberry month, and the 
dogwood month. The northwest wind is called the cold 
wind ; the northeast, the wet wind ; the south, the warm 
wind. The age of the moon they understood, but knew 
no different name for the sun and moon. Their age they 
reckon by winters — so many winters old. Either the re- 
ligion of the Jews is a kind of nature-religion or the Indians 
are their descendants. They said their forefathers came 
from the far, far west, ard that the world is round. 

The opinion of Eno Will in regard to the Christian re- 
ligion is expressed by Lawson as follows : " I invited him 
to become a Christian. He made me a very sharp reply, 
assuring that he loved the English extraordinary well, and 
did believe their ways to be very good for those that had 
already practiced them, and had been brought up therein ; 
but as for himself, he was too much in years to think of a 
change, esteeming it not proper for old people to admit of 
such alteration. However, he told me if I would take his 
son, Jack, who was then about fourteen years of age, and 
teach him to talk in that book, and make paper speak, 
which they call our way of writing, he would wholly resign 
him to my tuition." 

The Indians were skillful physicians, their roots and 
" yarbs " proverbial. They also practiced magic. Their 
doings might aid the scientists, especially one feat. Law- 
son says he saw an Indian stand on the bank of a river, and, 
taking a reed two or three feet long into his mouth, puffed 
and blew for a little while, then he arose from the ground 
and flew over the river. 

Though our Indians may have flown across Haw River, 
still they had not learned to write. They left no hiero- 
glyphics on Buzzard's Rock or old stone wall. 

Their speech was that of a very simple people, far below 
the inflectional period. Still their numerals, strange to 
say, look like those of the Indo European family — one is 



28 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

unche; two, necte (like next); ten, wartsanh; eleven, unche 
schanwhan. Three nations living about thirty miles apart 
spoke each a different language, thus causing misunder- 
standings, jealousies and hatreds that bring on war. 

Though the white people have not returned the friendli- 
ness received from them still they are not alone to blame 
for the extinction of this race. Had they been united as 
one people v/ith general interests, independent but recog- 
nizing their mutual relation, this country may still have 
been theirs. Though the white man be the stronger, still 
not his strength but Indian weakness prevailed. 



CHAPTER V. 



THE FIRST PERMANENT SETTLEMENT IN ALAMANCE. 

Two hundred years ago middle Carolina was like a prom- 
ised land to those persecuted for the sake of their political 
and religious liberty. Than these they had no other desi- 
derata ; and it was but natural that men like Lawson spied 
out this land and gave account of its riches manifold. 

The earth, they thought, bore untold wealth of gold. 
All deeds, or grants, from Lord Granville to our forefathers 
reserved interest, in the mines to be found, for the King 
and the Earl. The locust trees, said they, bore honey as 
well as the rocks and hollow logs. Milton, remembering 
the conversations of his friend Raleigh, drew, doubtless, 
from Carolina his glowing accounts of Eden. He wrote of 
the scent of grapes and flowers wafted seaward by the winds. 
Such wss the case, it is said, off Hatteras. This is an ex- 
ample. Adtm and Eve haste to their rural work "where 
any row 

Of fruit-trees, over-woody, reach too far 

Their pampered boughs, and needed hands to check 

Fruitless embraces; or they led the vine 

To wed her elm; she, spoused, about him twines 

Her marriageable arms, and with her brings 

Her dower, the adopted clusters, to adorn 

His barren leaves." 

In 1685 the few settlers in the eastern part of this goodly 
land, where the muscadine marries the elm, were without 
any form of government, said Spotwood, " paying tribute 
to neither God nor Caesar." 

To quote Bancroft, " There was no fixed minister in the 
land till 1703; no church erected till 1705; no separate 
building for a court house till 1722 ; no printing press till 
1754. Careless of religious sects, or colleges, or lawyers or 
absolute laws, the early settlers enjoyed liberty of con- 



30 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

science and personal independence, freedom of the forest 
and river. The children of nature listened to the inspira- 
tions of nature." 

" The first permanent settlement in North Carolina," 
said W. H. Battle " was made about the year 1660, by emi- 
grants from Virginia, on the north side of Albemarle sourd, 
and probabl) on Durant's neck in Perquimans county, 
lying between Perquimans and Little rivers. The oldest 
land title is a conveyance for that neck of la ad from the 
King of the Yeopim Indians to George Durant, dated 1662. 
On the twenty-fourth of March, 1663, King Charles the 
Second, granted to Edward, Earl of Clarendon, and others, 
as true and absolute Lords Proprietors, all the country from 
the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, including between the 
thirty-first and thirty- sixth parallels of north latitude; and 
on the thirtieth of June, 1665, by a second charter he en- 
larged the powers of the grantees and extended their bound- 
ries so as to include all the country between the parallels 
of thirty-six degrees thirty minutes and twenty-nine degrees 
north latitude." 

Among other powers which they conferred on the Lords 
Proprietors was that of enacting laws and constitutions 
" by and with the advice assent and approbation of the 
freemen thereof, or of the greater part of them, or of their 
delegates or deputies, who were to be assembled from time 
to time for that purpose. In the year 1663, George Drum- 
mond was appointed by Governor Berkley of Virginia, in 
pursuance of instructions of the Proprietors, the first Gov- 
ernor of the colony then known as the county of Albemarle. 
1677 Governor Drummond was succeeded by Samuel Steph- 
ens who was authorized to grant land, reserving to the Pro- 
prietors one half of the gold and silver ore. 

At this time the first constitution was given to the colony. 
It directed that the Governor should act with the advice of 
a council of twelve, one half appointed by himself, the 
other half by the Assembly ; the General Assembly was to 



THE HISTORY OF ALA.MANCE. 3! 

be composed of the Governor, the council of twelve dele- 
gates chosen by the freeholders. The first meeting con- 
vened either in 1666 or in 1667. This Legislature was 
called " the Grand Assembly of the County of Albemarle," 
and on its petition the Lords Proprietors by an instrument, 
since called the "Great Deed of Grant," directed that lands 
should be held by the inhabitants of the said county on the 
same terms and conditions as lands were held in Virginia. 

The principal acts of this Assembly were such as were 
believed to be required by the peculiar situation of the 
country, and were prompted by an anxious desire to increase 
its population. Suits for any debts created out of the 
country were prohibited for five years — new settlers were 
exempted from taxation for one 3 ear — the right to a certain 
quantity of land, acquired by migration, could not be trans- 
ferred until the owner had remained two years in the 
countiy — dealers from abroad were prohibited from traffick- 
ing with the Indians ; and as there were no regular minis- 
ters, marriages might be contracted by a simple declaration 
by the parties of their mutual consent, made before the 
Governor or a member of the council in the presence of a 
few neighbors. The Lords Proprietors approved these laws 
reserving to themselves a veto on the acts of the Assembly. 

In 1669 the Proprietors adopted for their colony "the 
Fundamental Constitution of Carolina," framed by Locke 
the philosopher, and fitting the young colony like a heavy 
jewelled crown fits a baby's tender head. After producing 
much discontent and disorder it was abrogated 1693. 

By its provision the oldest Proprietor was called Pala- 
tine, and the style of the enactments of the Grand Assembly 
during this proprietary government was thus : " Be it enac- 
ted by his Excellency the Palatine and the rest of the true 
and absolute Lords Proprietors of Carolina, by and wi h the 
advice and consent of the rest of the members of the General 

Assembly now met at for the northeastern part 

of the said province, and it is hereby enacted by the author- 



32 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

ity of the same." These acts were signed by the Governor, 
by the deputies of the Lords Proprietors, each having one 
deputy and by the speaker of the house of delegates. 

A General Biennial Assembly was held at the house of 
Captain Richard Sanderson at Little river, begun the seven- 
teenth of November, 17 15, continuing until January the 
nineteenth, 17 16. A revival of all acts of the Assembly up 
to that period had been made under directions of an act of 
the preceding session. 

Among these is one entitled " an act for ye confirmation 
of ye laws passed this session of Assembly and for repealing 
all former laws not herein expressed." 

On the twenty-fifth of July, 1729, seven of the eight Pro- 
prietors of Carolina, in consideration of seventeen thousand 
five hundred pounds sterling, conveyed all their rights, 
privileges and franchises to George the Second, King of 
Great Britain ; and Earl Carteret, afterwards Lord GraE- 
ville, the eighth Lord Proprietor, conveyed all his right of 
jurisdiction over the said province, reserving his one-eighth 
part of the soil and territorial rights. The Proprietary 
Government then ceased and the regal government com- 
menced. 

The last General Assembly held under the Proprietary 
Government met at Edenton November the twenty-seventh, 
1729, and the first under the royal government met at the 
same place in 1734. George Burrington was appointed by 
the King on the twenty-ninth day of April, 1730, the first 
Royal Governor. His council consisted of seven members, 
three of whom with the Governor formed a quorum. They 
were appointed by the Crown. 

Burrington having abdicated, Gabriel Johnston was ap- 
pointed, and proved to be a man distinguished for energy, 
prudence and scholarship. Johnston's term extended from 
1734 to 1752; at his death, Mathew Rowan first as Presi- 
dent, and then successively Arthur Dobbs, William Tryon 
and Josiah Martin presided over our affairs until we were 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 33 

old enough to take care of ourj-elves in 1776. The last 
Assembly under the Royal Government met at Newbern 
in March 1774. 

One must know something of North Carolina history to 
appreciate that of Alamance. Lawsonsaid that the middle 
section was far surpassing the eastern, Mr. Bancroft also 
knew of its excellence. 

For our great grand parents "the wild bee stored its 
honey in hollow trees, for them unnumbered swine fattened 
on the fruits of the forest or the heaps of peaches ; for them 
in spite of their careless lives and imperfect husbandry, 
cattle multiplied on the pleasant savannahs, and they de- 
sired no greater happiness than they enjoyed." Our great 
great grand parents were " not so much caged in the woods 
as scattered in lovely granges.'' There were no towns, no 
roads, except as paths were distinguished by notches in the 
trees. They were gentle and serene, and the " spirit of 
humanity maintained its influence in the arcadia, as royalist 
writers have it, of 'rogues and rebels' in the paradise of 
the Quakers.'' 



CHAPTER YI. 



EARLY SETTLERS OF ALAMANXE. 

In the long ago, Orange extended from the Neuse on the 
east, and took in all the land on the Eno, the Haw, Little 
River, Flat River, the Little Alamance, the Great Ala- 
mance, Cane Creek, Stinking Quarter, etc. From a strip 
of its liberal domain Alamance was formed in 1848. 

The fertility of the soil, the abundance of water, wood- 
land and grass, the smiling savannahs of Haw Fields, The 
Oaks, Alamance Creeks and Stinking Quarter attracted the 
attention of those who came to America for life, liberty and 
the pursuit of happiness. They found it not in Pennsylva- 
nia for that was distinctly the home of the Quaker, in despite 
of whom she suffered severely by French and Indian wars. 
Virginia offered no rest for the weary travellers, for this 
was Episcopal dominion. 

Just when the earliest settlers came to Alamance is a 
question, but this was one of the first settlements in Mid- 
dle Carolina. In 1744 there was a steady stream of emi- 
gration pouring from Pennsylvania — Quakers, Presbyteri- 
ans, etc. 

About 1740 Gilbert Strayhorn came to Haw Fields. 
Here the Craigs, the Blackwoods, the Kirklands, the Free- 
lands, and perhaps the Mebanes, the Tates, the Harts, the 
Nelsons, the Mitchells, the Johnstons '' were among the 
early settlers. *"The Craigs, the Blackwoods, the Kirk- 
lands and perhaps the Freelands came across, the Atlantic 
together," and, settling first in Pennsylvania, removed to 
North Carolina, passing through Virginia in the dead of 
winter, crossing its streams on ice. They reached Haw 
Fields about 1736-40. These families were connected with 
the first church at Haw Fields — the embryo of Orange 
Presbytery. 

It goes, without saying, that these people were Scotch 

* Rev. Mr. Craig, of Reidsville. 



THE HISTORY OF AI^AMANCE. 35 

and Scotch-Irish, Some Deutch from Holland perhaps 
tossed to and fro by bloodshed, tyranny and oppression, 
and knew it when it again appeared to them. 

Dr. David Caldwell preached to congregations in Guil- 
ford and Orange earlier, I think, than 1765. He was an 
active though elderly minister in 177 1-8. He tried to 
make peace between the Regulators and office-holders. 
Tames Hunter withdrew from the church because he thoug-ht 
his minister too cool on the question then at issue. 

In the lovely country between Dr. Caldwell's charge at 
Alamance church and Haw Fields lived the Albrights, the 
Halls, the Isleys, the Montgomerys, and the Sharpes peo- 
ple from Germany, speaking the German language, fitting 
their sanctum sanctorum with German customs and found- 
ing their churches, St. Paul's and Stonen, on German doc- 
trine. Judging from relics — a clock direct from Germany 
— this settlement is as old as 1744 at least. The early set- 
tlers of Alamance were Scotch and German, except that 
settlement south of the Stinking Quarter and below Clen- 
denen's ford on Haw River. 

There the Quakers settled, coming from Virginia and 
Pennsylvania. The monthly meeting at Cane Creek was 
in working order in 1752, presiding over several prepara- 
tive meetings — New Garden in Guilford, Spring in South 
Alamance, and South Fork in Chatham. Nathaniel Woody, 
88 years old, said South Alamance was settled in 1700. He 
said, also, the people then were quite as well off as they are 
now, or better. He had heard William Johnson, an ordi- 
nary farmer and blacksmith, complaining that he hadn't 
but ninety-nine sheep and couldn't get above it. Who has 
99 sheep now? 

On Nov. 6, 1728, ten thousand acres of land in Haw's 
Old Fields were patented by E. Moseley. This was con- 
veyed to Gov. George Burrington March 3, 1730. Of him 
Nash bought land April 10, 1754. 

About the time Haw Fields was growing into a popu- 
lous civilized community, Earl Granville became involved 



-36 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

for debt by gambling, it is said, to Lord Barrington of Lon- 
don. He paid his debts with that large tract of land lying 
on the Cape Fear River and adding in that part on Haw 
River. Lord Barrington in turn played the game of Gran- 
ville to Mr. Sam'l Strudwick of London. A descendant of 
his settled at the Wm. Craig homestead. 

Many squatters lived all along the Haw River. To get 
them off the Strudwick land was a matter of litigation in 
the courts for many years. A member of the Ashe family, 
for his services in these law suits, received a large tract of 
land, now known as the Austin Quarter, and more besides. 
Mr. J. A. Long's large farm* embraces part of the land. 
There in the old Ashe graveyard, overgrown, are the last 
remains of Governor Sam'l Ashe, dying at his summer 
residence. 

Moseley was one of Granville's agents. It may help to 
locate something of interest to the people of Alamance to 
know to whom and when this Mosele}- land was meted 
out — ten thousand acres on the east of Haw River. Con- 
veyed to Gov. George Burrington, 1730; to Nash, April 14, 
1754; to Justice, October 11, 1780. From Wm. Nash to 
Peter Mallet of New Hampshire, ]\Iay i, 1787; purchased 
by said Nash of Mallet and Estes, 1785. 

Sam'l Nash to John Justice, 1780, October. 

Sam'l Nash to Thos. Thompson, 1788, August. 

Sam'l Nash to Wm. Morrow, 1789, October. 

Sam'l Nash to John Steele, 1788, August. 

Sam'l Nash to Robert INIilliken, 1792 August. 

Sam'l Nash to John Woods, 1790, November. 

Governor Burrington' s land was conveyed to Strudwick, 
April 10, 1754. "Between George Burrington, late Gov- 
ernor of North Carolina, but now residing in the Parish of 
St. Margaret, Westminster county, IMiddlesex, and Sam'l 
Strudwick of Mortimer street, in the Parish of St. Maryl- 
born, in said County Middlesex, and son of Edmund Strud- 
wick. Consideration, five shillings. Stag Park on north- 

*Nowt he property of J. W. Menefee. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 37 

east of Cape Fear, ten thousand arres ; Haw Old Fields, 
northwest Cape Fear, thirty thousand acres."' Strudwick 
and wife to Howard, 1745; to Alex. Mebane, June 28, 1769; 
to John Thompson, 1787; to J. Steele, 1787, and to A. Me- 
bane, Oct. 17, 1772. "Being a part of a tract of land pat- 
ented by Edward Moseley, Nov. 17 18; by him conveyed to 
Governor Burrington, 1730, and then to Strudwick, 1754. 

Sam'l Strudwick to John Kennedy, Oct. 21, 1789. 

Sam'l Strudwick to James Christmas, Sept., 1790. 

Sam'l Strudwick to Allen Sykes, Aug. 22, 178-. 

Sam'l Strudwick to Jemtnings Gibson, Oct. 24, 1790. 

Sam'l Strudwick to Thomas Lesley, Oct. 22, 1790, 

Sam'l Strudwick to Thomas Bradshaw, Oct. 24, 1790. 

Sam'l Strudwick to John O'Daniel, Aug. 4, 1791. 

John Strudwick to Wm. Nash, ]\Iay 28, 1795. 

S. Strudwick to S. Kirkpatrick, Oct., 1792. 

S. Strudwick to Benj. Dixon, July, 1793 

S. Strudwick to Lewis Kirk, Maich, 1789. 

W. F. Strudwick to Jas. Mebane, February, 1799. 

W. F. Strudwick to James Moore, May, 1799 

W. F. Strudwick to Wm. Woody, December, 1798. 

W. F. Strudwick to Luke Grimes, May, 1779. 
r W. F. Strudwick to Thomas Bradshaw, November, 1799. 

W. F. Strudwick to James Turner, June, 1799. 

W. F. Strudwick to Wm. Paris, November, 1799. 

W. F. Strudwick to Jas. C endenen, 1796. 

Sam'l Strudwick to James Thompson, September, 1790. 

W. F. Strudwick to Elisha Kirk, February, 1801. 

W. F. Strudwick to Joha Jones, December, 1795. 

W. F. Strudwick to Nathan Christmas, December, 1795. 

W. F. Strudwick to John J<ihnson, May, 1798. 

W. F. Strudwick to Wm. Crutchfield, December, 1797. 

W. F. Strudwick to John Nelson, October, 1795. 

W. F. Strudwick to John Justice, June, 1798. 

W. F. Strudwick to Wm. Waters, Oct. 9, 1795. 

W. F. Strudwick to Jas. Patterson, Aug. 16, 1785, 

W. F. Strudwick to E. McDaniel. 



38 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

W. F. Stnidwick to John Pugh, August, 1797. 

W. F. Strudwick to F. Clendenen, May, 1802. 

W. F. Strudwick to Sam'l Stewart, June, 1802. 

W. F. Strudwick to J. Clendenen, August, 1803. 

W. F. Strudwick to Ruben Smith, August, 1804. 

W. F. Strudwick to Wm. Freshwaters. 

W. F. Strudwick to R. Woods, November 1802. 

W. F. Strudwick to Jas. Turner, October 1804. 

W. F. Strudwick to Sam'l Kirkpatrick, October, 1809. 

W. F. Strudwick to Val. Moore, October, 1807. 

W. F. Strudwick to S. Bradshaw, October, 1805. 

Extracts from some of the old deeds are as follows : 

Robert Patterson in consideration of the sum of 3 shil- 
lings paid to Earl Granville May i, 1752, the said Earl 
granted 640 acres in Parish of province of North Caro- 
lina, agreed that he pay rent at the rate of 3 shillings per 
year and cultivate 3 acres per hundred. Hosea Tarpley 
and Sarah his wife, had land granted them by Granville, 
in the Parish of St. John, 400 acres, Feb. 13, 1756. Wm. 
Mebane leased from Earl Granville for 10 shillings and 
yearly rent a parcel of land in the Parish of St. Mathewon 
both sides of the James Collins creek, 320 acres. 

In 1744 the Earl Granville granted, bargained and sold, 
for and in consideration of covenants, provisions and agree- 
ments by Benjamin Martin that parcel of land lying in the 
Parish of St. Mathew of the County of Orange in North 
Carolina on the west side of Haw river and on both sides 
of Cane creek, 600 acres of land with the exception of ^ 
of the gold and silver mines found there, at the rate of 3 
shillings sterling per hundred acres per year or four shil- 
lings Proclamation money at or upon the two most usual 
feast days — the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. 
Michael, the Arch Angel. 

Granville, [seal] 

By Francis Corbin, 
Registered by Jas. Watson, Clerk of Court. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 39 

On the second of May, 1755, Benjamin Martin deeded 
this land to William Johnson, selling it for sixty pounds 
with all the houses, gardens, orchards, fences and improve- 
ments. 

William Cox, planter, bought of William Pegott, sadler, 
in September, 1755, in consideration of 2^£ Virginia money 
one hundred acres of land on the south side of Haw river 
and on Cane creek. This being a tract of land granted to 
Wm. Peggott by Granville's agents in February, 1755. In 
that year John Rogers bought of George Yate, Governor of 
Virginia, for 15^ Virginia money, a tract of land lying on 
the north side of Haw creek in Orange in the presence of 
John Pryor, Trustee, and others. 

James Watson, gentleman, sold to William Marat a par- 
cel of land lying on Haw river containing by estimation 
five hundred and seventy-seven acres on Watson's creek. 
In 1755 also, John and Alexander West purchased land on 
Stony creek. Caunrad or Conrad Langna owned the land 
where Graham now stands — west of Haw river. Jacob 
Albright deeded to Joseph Albright a tract of land on the 
Great Alamance, May 13, 1778. The witnesses were Phil- 
lip Albright and John Patton, April 18, 1775, in consider- 
ation of the sum of 18^ Prock., Jacob Albright deeded to 
John Albright a tract of land containing 150 acres on the 
south side of the Great Alamance, it being a part of a large 
tract of land northeast of Nicholas Gibbs which Gibbs 
purchased of Henry Eustice McCullock and Jacob Al- 
brightsen. 

This indenture made the nth of June, 1754, in the 
XXVII >ear of the reign of our sovereign Lord George II. 
by the grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, 
King Defender of the Faith and between the Right Hon- 
orable John Earl Granville, Viscount Carteret and Baron 
Carteret of Hawns in the County of Bedford in the King- 
dom of Great Britain, Lord President of his Majesty's most 
honorable Privy Council and Knight of the most noble 



40 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

order of the Garter of the one part and John Wood of the 
County of Orange, of the Province of North Carolina, plan- 
ter, of the other part. Whereas the said most excellent 
Majesty, King George II. by a certain indenture bearing 
date September 17, 1744, made between his Majesty on the 
one part and the Lord Earl Carteret on the other did for 
the considerations herein mentioned, grant unto the said 
Earl (by the name of John Lord Carteret) a certain tract of 
land in the Province of North Carolina in America, and all 
the sounds. Creeks, Havens, Ports, Rivers, Streams and 
other Royalties as they are therein set forth, granted and 
confirmed to the said John Earl Granville, by the name of 
one eighth part of the Provinces of South and North Caro- 
lina said Indenture enrolled in the High Court of Chancery 
in Great Britain, and in the secretary's office in the Prov- 
ince of North Carolina. Now this Indenture witnesseth 
that for the sum of three shillings. Proclamation money to 
John Earl Granville by the said John Wood, the said Earl 

hath sold that parsel of land lying in the Parish 

of the County of Orange and Province of North Carolina, 
on Stones creek, and paying rent yearly and every year 
forever twenty-four shillings which is at the rate of three 
shillings per hundred acres, at or upon the most usual feast 
days, that is the feast of the annunciation of the Blessed 
Virgin Mary and the feast of St. Michael, Arch Angel. 
Treasuring one-fourth part of all the gold and silver mines 
found on it to the King and one half part of treasure to 
Granville. Granville by Francis Corbin and Benjamin 
Wheatly. 

The purest race on earth live here in North Carolina. 
People of enterprise actuated by love of liberty came from 
England, Germany, Holland and France and the neighbor- 
ing Virginia settled here in the early days. There has 
since been no immigration but her sons and daughters have 
left their old home to settle Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, 
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, etc. That accounts for a large ele- 
ment in the thrifty west. 



CHAPTER yiT. 



AN APPROACHING CLOUD. 

About 1744 trouble began to arise between Granville's 
agents and the early settlers. It was said that the title to 
their land was not good. Several families moved else- 
where. New Hope Church was founded about this time 
by the Presbyterians leaving Haw Fields. 

On Granville's reservation the agents received 10 per 
cent, commission; later this was reduced to 5 per cent, with 
a salary of two hundred pounds each. Childs and Corbin 
had succeeded Mosely and Holten, and they contrived by 
villainous means to extort money from those who had al- 
ready paid for their lands. One of them being a lawyer, 
pretended to find a fault or defect in the other's patent, 
which had been signed simply "Granville" by his attor- 
neys, saying that it ought to have been by "the right hon- 
orable earl Granville, by his attorneys," etc. Granville 
lived too far away to set the matter right. So patents were 
to be taken out a second time. They doubled the fee and 
contrived a device which they fixed to a warrant of survey, 
without authority, for which they charged six dollars. 
Being thus harrowed beyond endurance, the people seized 
Corbin and made him produce his books and give bond to 
return his illegal fees. Corbin entered suit against these 
"rioters," but he was forced to discontinue suit and pay 
cost. 

Besides the trouble growing out of tenure, " North Caro- 
lina had been insulted and oppressed by the weak and 
vicious administration of wicked Judges and worthless 
Governors. The King had entrusted the royal governors 
with extensive power and it was exercised to depiess the 
spirit of freedom." The absolute veto which they had on 
the acts of the assembly, and the power of dissolving it at 
pleasure, made each one, for the time being, nearly an ab- 
solute monarch in North Carolina. 



42 THh HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

The three kinds of money — called respectively Procla- 
mation, Virginia and Sterling — was a cause of complica- 
tions. 

Contentions were growing between rulers and ruled in 
Alamance. Herman Husbands, a representative in the 
legislature previous to 1770, carried the taxes paid by our 
farmers, at their request, to Wilmington, saying as he threw 
the money on the table before the governor, in presence of 
the assembly, " Here are the taxes from my people. I 
brought it to you to keep it from dwindling, seeing that 
money, when it passes through so many hands, is like a 
cake of soap." 

That our government then was corrupt, all admit ; that 
office-holders at Hillsboro, then lording it over Alamance, 
were bigoted, officious and greedy of personal gain, no one 
has denied. But all do not admit that their opposers were 
heroes and far-seeing patriots. 

Some of their acts certainly resembled those of a mob. 
They, however, had a plan and purpose — that of throwing 
off the yoke of oppression — if they had nothing to put in 
succession to the outrageous judges, attorneys and clerk- 
register of deeds. 

None are more conservative than farmers, and yet no 
class is more independent and unrestrained than they. 
When under the sting of a tyrannical lash what they, among 
themselves, determine is the vindication of right. When 
the law of the land is inadequate, failing to reach the point, 
there are the countrvmen, good, substantial, solid, ready to 
probe the old sore and to perform a surgical operation for 
the good of the body politic. 

" Where there is then no good 
For which to strive, no strife can grow up there from faction." 

The proceedings at court throw some light, thus help- 
ing each one to judge for himself : 
"Court March 1768. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 43 

Present the Honorable IMartin Howard, Richard Hen- 
derson and Maurice Moore esq. 

Petit jury: David Mitchell, Christopher Barbee, William 
Grimes. William Bynum etc. 

At the September court 1768 the above being present; 

" Harmon Husbands who stood bound for William But- 
ler appeared, came into court, and delivered him up to 
Court, was ordered into custody. Next day Harmon Hus- 
bands, Wm. Few, Sam'l Allin and John Butler appeared 
and acknowledged themselves indebted to our sovereign 
Lord the King, his heirs and succession in the several sums 
following, to wit, Harmon Husbands 500;^, Wm. Few 
Sam'l Allin and John Butler his securities in the sum of 
250/' each on condition that the said Harmon Husbands 
stay and perform the sentence of the court now sitting, on 
a certain Bill of Indictment prepared against him, and that 
he do not depart the court without leave of same." 

William Butler also, like the above, was fined 500^ and 
his securities — John Piles, John Hogan and William Coubs 
250/ each. 

March Term Court, 1770 

Martin Howard Chief and Justice Richard Henderson 

Jas. Hunter & als ^ 

vs V Debt 

Fanning j 

" Will debit and issue plead." 
John Nunn, Thomas Donaldson, Gilbert Strayhorn, Jas. 
McAlister, John Barbee, Thomas Wilburn, Hugh Barnett, 
Jeremiah Horton, Henry Graves, Thomas Bradford, Ralph 
Williams impanelled and sworn the truth to speak on the 
issue joined do say that the defendant owes nothing. 

Abner Nash ^ 

vs Debt 

Harmon Husbands j 

Same jury as above find that there was no Duress and 
assess for the plaintiff damages and costs. 



44 I'HE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

Jas. Hunter ~| 

vs V Debt 

Michael Holt J 

Same jury. Find defendant owes Fifty pounds. Or- 
dered later that a commission De bene esse be issued for 
the examination of in the suit Butler vs Holt. 

Ordered that the sheriff of Orange take Jas. Hunter into 
custody until he pay the fees due to the Crown office. 

Ordered that Wm. Payne appear at next court to show 
cause if any he hath why he doth not pay the several fees 
due the crown office etc. 

Next day. 

" The Indictment preferred against James Hunter, Nin- 
ion Hamilton, Isaac Jackson, John Phillips Hartsoe, Wm. 
jMoffitt, John Pile and PVancis Dorsett for a Rout, having 
been returned by the grand jury "a true Bill as to all ex- 
cept John Pile." It is ordered by the Court, that the Bill 
be squashed, by reason of the irregularity of the return and 
that the attorney General prepare a new Bill." 

Another Indictment prepared against Jas. Hunter, Wm. 
Butler, Ninion Hamilton, Peter Craven, Isaac Jackson, 
Peter Julian for a Rout, having been returned by Grand 
Jury "a true Bill as to all except Peter Julian." ''This Bill 
was also Quashed because of irregularity and attorney Gen- 
eral to prepare a new Bill.'' 

The same proceedings against Wm. Payne etc. 

" Francis Nash came into court and acknowledged him- 
self indebted to the king for the sum of five hundred pounds 
but to be void upon condition that he make his persona^ 
appearance at the next Superior Court of Justice to be held 
for Hillsboro district, then to abide by the judgment there- 
of and not depart without leave thereof." 

Abner Nash and Edmund Fanning the same for 250^. 

As a Superior Court of Justice begun and held for the 
District aforesaid at the Court House in Hillsborough on 
Saturday 22 of Sept. 1770. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 45 

Present the Honorable Richard Henderson esqr. associate 
Justice. Court adjourned till Monday 24th. The Court 
appointed Henry Pendleton attorney for the crown. 

" Several persons styling themselves Regulators assem- 
bled together in the court yard under the conduct of Her- 
man Husbands, Jas. Hunter, Rednap Howell, Wm. Butler, 
Sam'l Devinny and many others, insulted some of the gen- 
tlemen of the Bar and in riotous manner went into the 
court house and forcibly carried out some of the attorneys 
and cruelly beat them. They then invited the judge 
should proceed to the trial of their Leaders who had been 
indicted at a former court and that the jury should be taken 
out of their party. Therefore, the judge, finding it impos- 
sible to proceed with honor to himself and justice to his 
country, adjourned the court till tomorrow morning ten 
o'clock and took advantage of the night and made his es- 
cape and court adjourned." 

North Carolina ^ March Term 1771 
Hillsborough District. S > // • 

" The persons who style themselves Regulators and under 
the conduct of Harman Husbands, Jas. Hunter, Rednap 
Howell, Wm. Butler, Samuel Devinney and others broke 
up the court at September Term, still continuing their 
riotuous meetings and severely threatening the Judges, law- 
yers and other officers of the court prevented any of the 
judges or lawyers attending. Therefore the court adjourned 
till September term." Governor Tryon his late excellency 
had fled before the next term, September 1771. 

But the Regulators seized the books and what follows is 
the Court Proceedings of the Regulators — 1770 September. 
Peter Noay vs. H. Fanning. 

" Fanning must pay." 

John Childs vs. Richard Simpson. 

"You keep that to yourselves to rogue everybody." 
Wm. Brown vs. John Brown. 

" A shame * * * " 



46 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

Isaiah Hogan vs. Harmon Husbands. 
" Hogan pays and be damned." 

Eziekiel Brumfield vs. James Ferrell. 
Slander. 
"Nonsense, let them agree for Ferrell has gone hell- 
wards." 

Michael Wilson vs. David Harris. 
"All Harris's are rogues." 

John Edwards vs. Phillip Edwards. 
" Darned shame." 

Thos. Frammel vs. Wm. Dummegan. 
"Dummegan pays." 

Thomas Richards vs. Robinson York. 
" Plaintiff pays all costs and gets his body scourged for 
Blaspheming." 

Abner Nash vs. John Crooker. 
" Nash gets nothing." 
Valentine Bruswell vs. Dunun McNeal, Administrator of 
Hector McNeal. 
" File it and darned." 

Silas Brown vs. William Lewis. 

"The man was sick and it tis darned roguery." 

Solomon Pernil vs. James Ferril. 

Executed on two negroes. 

"Negroes not worth a damn, cost exceeds the whole." 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE REGULATION WAR. 

The war of the Regulation has been regarded as resis- 
tance to law and not a fight against oppression. Was it a 
stroke of State? Where such disturbances occur between 
the ruler and those ruled, is there not disease in the body 
politic, and is not nature attempting to purge herself by 
throwing off the poison ? 

The war of the Regulation resembles the civil war in 
England of 1642, and the Regulators, Hampden, Pym and 
that great rebel, or hero, Cromwell; their grievances were 
similar. They each petitioned for redress and resorted to 
violence when petition failed. Both have met with a like 
fate. 

Consider the condition of affairs at the time of the battle 
of Alamance. In 1737 there was trouble under Governor 
Johnson in regard to taxes. These troubles had not ceased 
to exist. There was a lack of currency in the province — 
no gold or silver, and barely enough money to pay taxes. 
Governor Tryon, like Rheoboam, made the burdens more 
grievous. Western counties were denied equal rights of 
representation. The capitol was at Newbern. There was 
not easy communication. To this the names of the rivers 
testify — Haw River in the western section becomes Cape 
Fear in the eastern. So the time was peculiarly congenial 
to tyranny, but the people were not so suited. 

The Stamp Act trouble came. Colonels Ashe and Wad- 
dell having called out the militia made Tryon prisoner in 
his own house, and forced the royal sloop " Viper" to give 
up several vessels it had seized for want of stamped paper, 
and to agree to stop such seizure. The east was hit then, 
you know, and so they did the howling. In spite of slow 
communication these things were not done in a corner, but 
had their influence on the public trend of thought. 



48 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

The taxes, that ever fruitful source of war, were being 
increased. Governor Tryon's royal tastes saddled the prov- 
ince with a palace costing fifteen thousand pounds or more. 
A standing army must be maintained, you know, in a new 
country still in swadling bands and struggling for exis 
tence. In addition to these high "lawful" taxes public 
officers and lawyers had exorbitant fees. 

They said it was not the form of government nor the 
laws that they were quarreling with, but the malpractices of 
the officers of the County Court. The law demanded fif- 
teen shillings for their fee in the County Court but the law- 
yers exacted thirty, sometimes three, four and five pounds. 

But " in the matter of taxes and government the Regu- 
lators not only made no opposition to the payment of taxes 
lawfully levied and honestly applied, but, on the contrary, 
they publicly and officially declared to give part of their 
substance to support rulers and law." 

That our greviances were real and our oppression great 
is shown by the fact that so many people moved away at 
that time. Fifteen thousand families left for Tennessee 
soon after the battle of Alamance. In fact "poor Carolina" 
was like the house of Israel in the time of Isaiah, "from 
the sole of the foot to the crown of the head without any 
soundness, but wounds and bruised and putrefying sores." 

In the controversy of 1771, the principal parties engaged 
were Governor Tryon, Colonel Fanning, Generals Waddell 
and Ashe. Among the leaders of the Regulators were 
James Hunter, Rednap Howell, Thomas Person, Daniel 
Gillespie, Herman Husbands, James Pugh, etc. 

Governor William Tryon was an Englishman by birth 
and a soldier by profession. He married Miss Wake, a lady 
of fortune, and held an office in the English army. He 
was well versed in his profession, and possessed a practical 
knowledge of its details. Doubtless he was a man of per- 
sonal courage and loved war with its attending fame and 
splendor. That he received an appointment as Lieutenant 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 49 

Governor of North Carolina was due to influence at court, 
to his sister, probably — Miss Tryon, who was maid of honor 
to the Queen. He was a diplomat as well as a soldier, so 
while he quelled the Regulators by high handed force he 
managed the Legislature by diplomacy. "The hanging of 
the lunatic Few, in cold blood, and without any form of trial, 
the morning after the battle of Alamance, when all pre- 
tense of resistance was at an end, showed both the cruelty 
of the man and the dominion Fanning had over him." 
The manner in which he ravaged the country of the Regu- 
lators after they were vanquished, was worthy of a Cum- 
berland in olden times, or a Sheridan in modern. His 
character as Governor of New York, was the same. They 
changed the name of the county called in his honor — Tryon. 
Edmund Fanning, son of James Fanning, though of 
Irish descent, was a native of Long Island. His family 
was one of wealth, education and high social standing. At 
an early age he graduated at Yale. The degree of Doctor 
of Civil Law was conferred on him by Oxford, England, 
Doctor of Laws by Y^ale and Dartmouth Colleges. He also 
had a degree from Harvard. About 1760 he was sworn in 
as attorney at Hillsborough, and was soon af:er appointed 
as Register, or Clerk of Court of Appease for Orange 
County. Later he became Judge, then colonel of the mili- 
tia of Orange. A part of his subsequent life was spent in 
New York. It is a heavy charge against the Regulators 
that thev beat this man — if he did not deserve it. They 
also burnt his house, for which there is no excuse what- 
ever. The following lines, a specimen of Rednap Howell's 
verse, show the public sentiment in regard to Fanning and 
Frohock, the Clerk of the Court of Rowan : 

Says Frohock to Fanning, to tell the plain truth, 
When I came to this country I was but a youth. 
My father sent for me ; I wan't worth a cross, 
And then my first duty was to steal a horse. 
I quickly got credit and then ran away 
And haven't paid for him to this very day. 

4 



50 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

Says Fanning to Frohock, 'tis folly to lie ; 
I rode an old mare that was blind of an eye. 
Five shillings in money I had in m}- purse ; 
My coat it was patched, but not much the worse. 
But now we've got rich and its very well known, 
That we'll do very well if they'll let us alone. 

Still other lines, doubtless from the same pen, that were 
current as early as 1765, have come down to us: 

When Fanning first to Orange came. 

He looked both pale an wan. 
An old patched coat upon his back. 

An old mare he road on. 
Both man and mare warn't worth live pounds 

As I've been often told , 
But by his civil robberies 

He's laced his coat with gold. 

(See Colonial Records, Vol. VII., page 507, for Fanning's 
order "for some good double gold lace for a hat and some 
narrow double gold lace for a jacket.") 

The men who opposed Governor Tryon and his army 
were the Regulators. It has been said that they were men 
of low degree, ignorant, depraved, violent, lawless, opposed 
to all taxes, hostile to government, without property or 
other stake in North Carolina, that they beat the lawyers, 
broke up the courts and that they turned tories after the 
battle of Alamance, that that battle was not justifiable — as 
if any war could be — that it was only a brash, or resistance 
to law. 

From Governor Tryon 's point of view these Regulators 
were rebels. At the battle of Alamance, after a desperate 
struggle, he extorted from some — not all — the oath of alle- 
giance. Tryon had a special fondness for administering 
that kind of medicine. To some it proved effectual. The 
sturdy Highlanders never forgot what they had swoin, not 
to break a treaty, but to regard it holy had been ground 
into them as thoroughly as the Jews had learned the first 
commandment. 

The petition the Regulators sent to the Legislature in 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 5 1 

T769 may refute some of the charges brought against them, 
May not their lives speak for the rest? The end proves the 
work, the wall how well the bricks were laid. 

" Of the forty-seven sections of the State Constitution 
adopted in 1776, thirteen, more than one-fourth, are the 
embodiment of reforms sought by the Regulators. Now, 
no man has dared to reflect on the 'patriots of '76,' who 
brought to a glorious end the struggle the Regulators had 
begun " 

The people of Anson sent up a petition in which they 
complained that while the province labored under general 
grievances, the western part thereof labored under particu- 
lar ones, "particular restrictions," which they claimed the 
right to make under the English Bill of Rights. The peo- 
ple of Orange and Rowan in their petition asked that acts 
be passed — 

1. To disqualify lawyers and clerks from holding seats 
in the Assembly, 

2. To giv/e the clerks salaries, and to take away fees. 

3. To confine lawyers to fees prescribed by law. 

4. To call in all acting clerks and to fill their places 
with gentlemen of property and intelligence, and insert in 
said act a clause prohibiting all judges, lawyers or sheriffs 
from receiving their fees before the suit in which they be- 
came due was finally determined, which they hoped would 
prevent the odious delays in justice, so destructive, yet 
fatally common among them. 

5. To repeal an act prohibiting dissenting ministers from 
celebrating the rites of matr mony according to the forms 
prescribed by their respective churches, a privilege they 
were debarred of in no other part of his Majesty's kingdom, 
and a privilege they stand entitled to by the Act of Tolera- 
tion, and, in fact a privilege granted to the very Catholics 
in Ireland and the Protestants in France. 

6. To divide the province into proper districts for the 
collection of taxes. 



52 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

7. To tax every one in proportion to his estates ; that 
however equitable the law as it then seemed might appear 
to the inhabitants of the maritime ports of the province, 
where estates consisted chiefly of slaves, yet to them on the 
frontier, where very few owned slaves, though their estates 
were in proportion in many instances as a thousand to one, 
for all to pay equal was very grievous and oppressive. 

8. To repeal the Summons and Petition Act, which was 
replete with misery and ruin to the lowest class of people 
in the province, and in lieu thereof to pass an act to em- 
power a single magistrate to determine all actions for less 
than five or six pounds, without appeal, to be assisted, how- 
ever, by a jury of six men, if demanded by either party. 

9. To make inspection notes on imperishable commodi- 
ties of the produce of this province lawful tender, at stated 
prices, in all payments throughout the province. 

10. To divide the county. 

11. To make certain staples of manufacture to answer 
foreign demands. 

12. To ascertain what taxes were collected in 1767, by 
whom, and to what purpose they were applied specially, 
and look into the matter of taxes generally. This was 
done in view of the belief that ^27,000 were collected 
more than was due. 

13. To provide that the yeas and nays should be inserted 
in the journals of the Assembly, and that copies of the 
journals be sent to every magistrate. 

If these things were done the petitioners said they would 
" heal the bleeding wounds of the province ; would concil- 
iate the minds of the poor petitioners to every just measure 
of government ; would make the laws what the Constitu- 
tion ever designed they should be, their protection and not 
their bane, and would cause joy, gladness, glee and pros- 
perity diffusively to spread themselves through every quar- 
ter of this[ extensive province, from Virginia to the south, 
and from the western hills to the great Atlantic ocean." 



THK HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 53 

These petitions contain the complaints of the Regula- 
tors, couched in their own language. Were they ignorant 
men? Did they lack patriotism? Did they hate law? 

Among the Regulators Rednap Howell was "the master 
spirit that controlled the movement." Tryon so regarded 
him. This staunch Regulator's "plans were far-reaching, 
his aims for redress of oppression were far advanced." He 
was one of the committee that presented the petition of May, 
176S. He helped to break up those farces called courts 
where justice was being profaned. He came from New 
Jersey, settled in Chatham county, where he taught school. 
He was a writer of songs and popular doggerel, a powerful 
engine for arousing the people " Upon him, as upon Per- 
son, there was not a taint of cowardice or spot or blemish 
whatever." 

Thomas Person was one of the most remarkable men of 
his time, an earlier, more adroit, courageous and successful 
reformer than Husbands. He was a Church of England 
man, a friend of education, a man of strong sense, a large 
owner of estates, of the highest social position, and as his 
subsequent career proved, one of the staunchest and most 
devoted patriots thi** or any other province possessed during 
the Revolution He was surveyor for Lord Granville, rep- 
resented his county in the Assembly, first in 1766, and 
succeeding. He was member of every Provincial Congress 
from the beginning of the Revolution to the end. Person 
county is named in his honor, also the oldest building at 
the University is Person Hall, called so in grateful com- 
memoration of his munificent liberality to that institution. 
This man was certainly a Regulator, and North Carolina 
holds in her bosom the bones of no truer patriot and 
statesman. 

Let us consider James Hunter, since he was an Ala- 
mance county man, and his posterity are still among us. 
Mr. Robert Hunter, his grandson, lives now near the 
old Hunter home, also in the neighborhood of the Regu- 



54 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

lator Butler — Swepsonville. James Hunter, of Orange, 
was a man of some prosperity. He was at one time 
a member of one of Dr. Caldwell's congregations, but 
subsequently withdrew from it because he thought the Doc- 
tor was not sufficiently enthusiastic in the cause of the Reg- 
ulators. His influence and his consequence were such that 
on the morning of the battle the Regulators asked him to 
take chief command on the field. He refused to do so, 
saying that " they were all free men and every one must 
command himself." He was a man of good mind natu- 
rally, moral in his deportment, very ardent in his tempera- 
ment and enthusiastic in whatever he undertook, and with- 
out suspicion as to his courage. This was the man who 
went with Howell to Brunswick to deliver to Try on the 
paper of 2ist of May, 1768, and who, at September court, 
1770, presented to Judge Henderson the bold petition of 
that date, and who, with Howell, afterwards broke up the 
court, and who again in March, 1771, was present, ready 
to break it up if held ; and it was to him that Howell's 
memorable intercepted letter of 16th February, 1771, was 
addressed. These things made him one of the '^ worst" 
and most "lawless" Regulators. 



CHAPTER IX. 



HERMAN HUSBANDS. 

Herman Husbands was a prominent Regulator. He was 
also a respectable planter, legislator, leader of men, and had 
been a Quaker preacher. He was said to have been a rela- 
tive of Benjamin Franklin. They carried on a correspond- 
ence while Husbands was in North Carolina. 

There has been some misunderstanding about the man 
though all agree that he would not fight. 

After the battle of Alamance Tryon encamp?d at the 
home of Husbands at S"ndy Creek triumphantly. But he 
was not a Quaker. Dr. Weeks in his History of the South- 
ern Quakers says : 

"The Quakers were not Regulators. But there were, of 
course, individual Qu^^kers who took part in the Regula- 
tion ; many more, no doubt, sympathized with the princi- 
ples advocated ; but no complicity with the events of 1766- 
71." Husbands had been disowned by the society but not 
for immoralitv as Governor Tryon states. 

" Husbands was born October 3, 1724. in all probability 
in Cecil County Maryland. His grandfather Wm. Hus- 
bands made a will March 25, 17 17. He writes himself as 
of Sissil County, Maryland. He had cattle, " hoggs and 
sheap'' and negroes, and speaks of the 'iron works that 
belong to me\ He had a good deal of land besides Wil- 
liam the father of Herman, was also of "Cecil County 
Marylard." 

"His will was probated March loth, 1768 He also had 
negrocS and was not a Quaker. His son Joseph born Feb- 
ruary 15, 1736 (2)7), was the first of the family to turn 
Quaker. His convincement influenced Herman. 

In east Notingham, Maryland, Herman became a promi- 
nent man among- the Quakers. 



56 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

He once got a certificate to visit Barbadoes, He was 
first in North Carolina, 1751, when he removed to Cower's 
Creek monthly meeting in Bladen Connt\. On November 
*ist, 1755, he presented a certificate to Cane Creek monthly 
meeting which was accepted. 

To quote from the Cane Creek minute book : " Whereas 
Herman Husbands of Orange County, in the province of 
Nonh Carolina and Mary Pugh of said County and prov- 
ince, having declared their intention of marriage with each 
other before several monthly meetings of the people called 
■Quakers at Cane Creek according to good order, used them, 
having consent of parents concerned. Their said proposal 
of marrisge was then allowed by the said meeting, 

7th of ist month, 1764, "Herman Husoan-^'s being com- 
plained of for being guilty of making remarks on the ac- 
tions and transactions of this meeting as well as elsewhere 
as his mind, and publicly advertising the same, and after 
due labor with him in order to show him the evil of his 
doing, this meeting agrees to disown him as also to publish 
the testimony." 

The cause of his disownment was as follows : 

There had been trouble about granting a certificate to 
one Rachael Wright. Herman Husband (he spelt his name 
several \v ays) had ' spoken his mind too freely." Whereupon 
the yearly meeting gave the following advice: That the quar- 
terly meeting did not act safe in giving Rachael Wright a 
certificate if the same were to be carried into a precedent 
and that all who signed a dissenting minute showing a dis- 
like to Herman Husband's being discharged gave just cause 
of blame." 

Herman Husbands was something of an author. He has 
a work on religion, with the author's experience "simply 
■delivered without the help of school words or dress of learn- 
ing, written about 1750," in the Library Company Philadel- 
phia. 

From his character as a Quaker, it is evident, that he 

* From Minutes of Cane Creek Monthly Meeting. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 57 

was a man who spoke fearlessly, from his having a book in 
the Library Company, and from his handboc k of the Reg- 
ulators it is ascertained that he wa'? a man not devoid of 
learning. 

The records of the Quakers show that they vindicated 
his opinion in regard to the Rachael Wright case. There- 
fore he must have been a man of ?ense. 

But he became involved in the Whiskey Insurrection in 
Pennsylvania and didn't stay to see the fray. 

" For he who fights and runs away 
Had lived to fight another day." 

Dr. Benj. Franklin, Dr. Benj. Rush and our Dr. David 
Caldwell helped him out of his trouble there. 

If property be any basis from which to judge a man, he 
had a respectable home in the Sandy Creek neighborhood. 
He also held the following : 

"Indenture made the fourth day of November, 1755, be- 
tween Wm. Christan, of the County of Orange, in the prov- 
ince of North Carolina, gentleman of the one part, and 
Harmon Husbands, of the county and province aforesaid, 
of the other part, for 30 shillings lawful money of Great 
Britain, a lot of land lying on the Kno River, containing 
two acres, more or less, and bounded in an angle by two 
streets and the river, lying and being in Corbinton. The 
rent was to be one shilling yearly ''and further that he the 
said Harmon Husbands build within two years a habitable 
House of stone, brick, square, loggs, dove tailed or frame 
and shingled, not less than twenty feet in length and six- 
teen ft. wide. If the rent was not paid in 21 days at least, 
after due, and that house not built and every other rule 
complied with, this grant and assignment shall be void." 

From his home in Sandy Grove to Hillsboro (Corbinton,* 
or new town Corbin,) he made a road called the " Herman 
Road," Mt. Herman, or Mt. Harmon, Church is named 
for him. 

Why was he not at the battle of Alamance? He helped 

* Hillsboio. 



58 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

to bring it about, probably only expressing the will of that 
grand old man — Benjamin Franklin. It may be. then, 
that Husbands did not foresee fighting. But we have no 
right to judge him unless we knew his motives then. That 
he was a Quaker was not the cause of his not fiehtinsf, for, 
you see, he was not a Quaker. 

The Regulator James Pugh was his brother-in-law, and 
had valor enou j;h for two men. 

Thomas, James and Will Pngh, of Saxapahaw, are de- 
scendants of Husbands through their mother, whose father 
was Thos. Allen. 

Husbands was for many years a member of the Pennsyl- 
vania legislature. Dr. David Caldwell believed him to 
have been honest in his intentions. 

He was a man of philosophic nature; without the great 
will power of a soldier or general. The philosophers stir up 
strife, but soldiers are the men of action. Now a philoso- 
pher could see at once that Tryon's army of well-drilled 
soldiers could put to flight a triple number of farmers aud 
blacksmiths armed with pitchforks, hoes, shotguns — any- 
thing and everything. So Herman Husbands left the field. 
To stay wouW mean certain death to him first of all. His 
cause gained at the last. 

Every beginning is hard. The beginning of the Revo- 
lutionary war was not an easy matter. But it began on 
the plains of Alamance. That battle raised the metal of 
the men who made the Mecklenburg Declaration. It stirred 
the soul of William Hooper, North Carolina's signer of the 
Declaration of Independence of 1776. The evils existed 
right here in Alamance that called forth the War of the Rev- 
olution ; here, also, began the resistance. It is the natural 
way of beginning revolutions. 

" It is true, indeed, that in the beginning we aimed not 
at independence.'' But there was a divinitv that shaped 
our destiny, and the Regulators began the Revolutionary 
War. Give Benjamin Franklin the credit for the War of 



The history of alamance. 59 

the Regulation. He was too intimate with the leaders of 
the Regulators to go free from that charge. He was con- 
tinually sending messages to Herman Husbands. He was 
a dynamo of the Revolution. Through Herman Husbands 
he applied the torch that at last burnt up the system of 
English domination. 

Rev. John E. White says the Baptists were Regulators. 
So were the PresHyterians — always good fighters as well as 
good thinkers — and every member of the German-Reform 
Church, Stoners. Lord Chatham knew the cause of the 
strife, and recognized it in the English Parliament, and we 
revere the memoiy of those who bore the brunt of that be- 
ginning — the hard beginning of the glorious strife for 
American liberty. 

James Pugh, another Regulator, a brother-in-law of Hus- 
bands, was a gunsmith and mended many guns for the 
Regulators prior to the battle. He was a good soldier, 
wounding many of Tryon's men and escaping their bullets. 
However, he was taken as a prisoner and hung "as a rebel. 
When on the scaffold for execution he made a speech, ad- 
dressing the people for half an hour, declaring that he had 
long been prepared to meet his God in another world; that 
he had no regrets to express for what he had done in the 
matter o'f the Regulation, and that his blood would be as 
good seed sown on good ground, wliich would soon produce 
a hundred fold. He then recounted the causes that led to 
the late conflict ; asserted that the Regulators had taken 
the life of no man previous to the battle ; that they had 
aimed at nothing but a redress of grievances ; that Tryon 
had come there to murder the people instead of taking sides 
with them against a set of dishonest office-holders, and ad- 
vised him to put away his c irrupt clerks and tax gatherers, 
mentioning Fanning by name as one unfit for office. There- 
upon Fanning had the trigger pulled and a patriot and seer 
swung out between the heavens and the eaith — a lifeless 
corpse. 



6o THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

Be it said to the credit of the Regulators, their meetings 
were to be held orderly, and where there was no whiskey 
sold. This clause they frequently repeated. They knew 
of the criticism that would come. In that alone they were 
a long ways ahead of their time. It shows their soberness 
and careful deliberation. 

Just what the result would have been if the Regulators 
had gained the battle of Alamance, cannot be thought. The 
other provinces were not yet quite ripe for levc lution. The 
critical period comes when the victories substquent to the 
work on the battlefield are being contested. The most try- 
ing time of America was just after the colonies had thrown 
off British dominion. The structure of our Commonwealth 
might have been a gossamer fabric — and Ameiican 
heroes rebels and Washington an outlaw — had not the 
foundations been laid deep and strong. But we had the 
men ; so all is changed. Our government rests its massive 
pillars on such men as Jefferson, Franklin, Chief Justice 
Marshall, Alexander Hamilton and James Monroe. Thanks 
to the wave of influence set in motion by our Regulators. 
It extends and widens and touches every shore. 



CHAPTER X. 



THE BATTLE OF ALAMANCE. 

From 1735 the state of affairs had been growing worse. 
Bad laws are worse than no laws and the people of Orange 
and their neighbors suffered grievous oppression. Not only 
on account of the extortions of Granville's land agents — 
which were enough cause of complaint — but Fanning at 
Hillsboro was charging three times and more, the amount 
of fees the law allowed ; for a minutes' copying he was ac- 
customed to charge as much as a farmer could possibly 
earn in a d^iy ; for a marriage license he got fifteen dollars. 

The plain middle class of people hated him for his bigo- 
try. Holding that obedience to tyrants is a sin against 
humanity, this class set themselves to regulate the com- 
monwealth into a healthier condition. 

The great middle class has always been the element of 
progress, the aggressive Whigs held on to the idea of 
making wrong get right. They become the aristocracy 
after every revolution. This class is a trinity — executive, 
legislative and judicial. 

Looking at the situation in its entirety it was perfectly 
natural that the sturdy middle class, with honorable char- 
acter, respectable homes and working hard for everything 
they got, looked on with critical eye, thought as well as 
looked, and gave their energy to mend the matter. If there 
had been among them one great leader the history of 
America would have run in a different channel. The colo- 
nies were not yet ripe for revolution ; that troublesome 
" tea party " was not yet in Boston. 

The Regulation Meetings became numerous. This ag- 
gravated the Royal Governor whom the Indians had given 
an appropriate cognomen — the Great Wolf of North Caro- 
lina. And indeed two thousand offended farmers ensconced 



62 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

around a little nest full of oppressors like Hillsboro, was 
enough to attiact the scent of the Wolf. 

Fanning, his friend and little moon revolving round him, 
had been, you know, insulted out of reason. For once at 
Mattock's Mill, west of Hillsboro, their special rendezvous, 
he had walked out to make peace when he had, in his heart, 
no peace, carrying in each hand wine and whiskey to steal 
away their good repute. He called out to them to help 
him over the creek between, and was bidden to wade if he 
would cross, which he did and for all that, met with no 
pleasant welcome. 

Fanning began to feel that he might get the bad end of 
their bargaining. But Tryon, his friend, was coming on 
the scene with eleven hundred strong. As Fanning was 
revengeful, spiteful, so Tryon was diplomatic, loving a sold- 
ier's life — ready to play in hand his people and his prey. 

The Great Wolf of North Carolina collected from her 
eastern borders eleven hundred men, drilled for war, not 
having as yet a chance to wdn their spurs and pluck mili- 
tary laurels. 

Eager to stamp out the Regulators he sent Col. Waddell 
with his regiment across the Yadkin, there to await for 
Tryon about Salisbury. Cols. Fanning and Richard Cas- 
well joined their soldier governor before he crossed Haw 
River, and his army kept increasing like a snowball rolling 
on ; men joined it either for diplomacy or because of the 
attractions of military paraphernalia. 

Tryon knew the road for at the head of a host, as a sur- 
veying party he had passed that way, showing off with 
great pride his royal personage to the Indians. 

Crossing Haw River at Woody's Ferry he encamped on 
the banks of the great Alamance May 14, 1771. The 
Regulators were come already with their req nests and ex- 
pecting reconciliation. Tryon ordered one-third of his 
army to remain under arms the whole night, to be relieved 
every tvio hours; the same was done the next night; but 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 63 

with additional precaution. The cavalry were to keep their 
horses saddled during the night, and a guard of ten men 
about half a mile in front towards the Reg-ulators. 

Tryon knew his situation was critical. He was in the 
enemy's territory. Their forces were gathering like wild / 
bees from the 'orests. The men of Dublin and elsewhere 
were nobly refusing to fight them. 

The two armies were encamped on the night of the fif- 
teenth, within five or six miles of each other; the Regula- 
tors near the battle field. 

On the morning of the sixteenth Tryon's army was 
marching by daybreak. In silence they marched, leaving 
their tents and baggage in charge of Col. Bryan. 

It is said that Tryon's men numbered eleven hundred 
regular soldiers while the Regulators could not have had 
over a thousand bearing arms at all suitable to the occasion ; 
a great many were there not expecting to have any use for 
arms. Some did not take their weapons because the y feared 
the governor would not treat with them if they had guns. 
Many went to see the outcome. Dr. Caldwell was requested 
by the Regulators to be present to n.ake a reconciliation. 
He had interviews with Tryon to no result. 

Colonels Ashe and Walker happened out of camp and 
were taken prisoners by the Regulators. They were tied 
to trees and whipped with switches. Capt. S. A. Ashe says 
his ancestor hated the Regulators very much when they 
began to switch him, but he respected them when he saw 
and fflt them doing a good job of it, and at length he fell 
in love with them. 

Tryon had taken seven Regulators. He tried to ex- 
change prisoners, but it was not accomplished. 

On the field of battle Tryon had his men arraigned ac- 
cording to military skill, himself in the centre with the 
two wings commanded by Richard Caswell and Edmund 
Fanning. It must have been humiliating to trained war- 
riors to fight men without discipline, with no leader and 
no regularity. 



64 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

One with the sense of injury, the other in a state of re- 
venge, they met, the governor demanding immediate sub- 
mission and a promise to pay their taxes ; the Regulators 
presenting petitions for the vindication of right. Tryon 
marched up within three hundred yards of the Regulators, 
who, waving their hats, challenged him to advance. Tryon 
gave them an hour to disperse. 

But the opposing forces marched in silence till they met 
almost breast to breast. The first rank of the governor's 
men almost mixed with those of the Regulators. They 
quarreled and shook their fists in defiance. 

Herman Husbands was just riding away to shun the fight. 
Some young men were still wrestling and playing. Dr. 
Caldwell, riding up in front, harangued the people, saying: 
"Gentlemen and Regulators: Those of you who are not 
too far committed should desist and quietly return to your 
homes ; those who have laid themselves liable should sub- 
mit without further resistance. I and others promise to 
obtain for you the best terms possible. Wait until circum- 
stances aie more favorable. The governor will yield noth- 
ing. You are unprepared for battle. You have no can- 
non, not much ammunition. You are not trained for war! 
You have no officers to command you ! You will be de- 
feated ! " * * * 

" Hold, Dr.," said Patrick Muller, an old Scotch soldier, 
"Go away yourself or Tryon's men will kill you in three 
minutes." 

The fight had already begun. Tryon drawing his pistol 
shot with his own hand Robert Thompson — the first man 
killed in the war. Thompson was unarmed and the Gov- 
ernor's killing him before giving the signal to fire was 
murder. 

It was noon when fighting began. The Governor's aid 
came forward and read a proclamation. The Regulators 
asked an hour in which to reply. The messenger wheeled 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 65 

his horse, and the firing immediately began on the part of 
Tryon. It was citizen against citizen, no wonder some 
were reluctant. Tryon, handsome and commanding in ap- 
pearance, rising in his stirrups, cried, "Fire — fire on them 
or fire on me !" "Fire — fire and be d — d !" said a Regu- 
lator. 

The first volley of Trycn's men struck the ground in 
front of the enemy. One of his men called out " I told you 
you aimed too low." The next went over their heads. 

At first the Regulators were getting the better of the 
day — keeping up an irregular fire from behind trees. The 
other side fired regularly by j latoons. 

Presently a flag was seen advancing from Tryon'ssideof 
the field. What this meant nobody knew, but the old 
Sc^otchman called out "It is a flag — a flag, do'nt fire!" 
But shots were fired and the flag fell. Then redoubled 
came the volleys from the official field. They fired and 
fell back about one hundred yards, leaving their cannon 
in the center of the field. Two Regulators — MacPherson 
brothers — rushed up and seized them. 

When the smoke had cleared away from that tremendous 
volley, the royalists saw only a scattered band of men. 
They had dispersed like sheep on a hillside after a hurri- 
cane, or like the snow drifts of winter after a thawing rain. 

They had nothing to hold them in play, no general to 
marshall them anew for the fray. Mongomery, the cap- 
tain of a troop of mountain boys, was the principal com- 
mander. 

That day Americans learned a valuable lesson on dis- 
cipline. 

Behind a ledge of rocks one lay and killed seventeen 
men. That was Pugh. He was hung. In a previous 
chapter is given an account of his death. 

Herman Husbands, Butler, James Hunter, Ninian Bell 
Hamilton (a scotch captain eighty years old) were out- 
lawed. A lunatic named Few was hung on the field. 
5 



66 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

Capt. Merrell was sentenced to be hung but his wife and 
son came to beg for his life. 

The woman lay on the ground moaning in distress. The 
boy, a lad of twelve was trying to comfort her. Suddenly 
he walked up to the Great Wolf of North Carolina saying: 
^'Governor Tryon, please hang me instead of father.'' 
Tryon in astonishment asked "who sent you to me?" 
' nobody, sir, but if you hang father the children and mother 
will starve." 

Tryon promised his father's life for that of Herman Hus- 
bands who did not choose to save him. They hung the 
father. Captain Merrell — a pious man who died with the 
resignation of a christian. 

How many were killed is not known. Tryon said his 
killed and wounded amounted to near seventy, the enemy, 
he said, lost two or three hundred. Other accounts say the 
Regulators lost a dozen or more and Tryon two or three 
times as many. Tryon ordered a Court of Oyer and Ter- 
miner to meet and adjourn from day to day at Hillsboro 
until he arrived with the prisoners. Both Waddell and 
Fanning were instructed to secure flour for the army. 



CHAPTER XI. 



tryon's proclamation. 

" Whereas, Herman Husbands, James Hunter, Rednap 
Howell and William Butler* are outlawed and liable to be 
shot by any person whatever, I do therefore, that they may 
be punished for the Traiterous and Rebellious Crimes they 
have committed, issue this my Proclamation hereby offer- 
ing; a Reward of one hundred pounds and one thousand 
acres of land to any person or persons who will take dead 
or alive and bring into mine or General Waddell's Camp 
either and each of the above named outlaws." 

" Given under my hand and the great seal of the said 
province at Bathabara this ninth day of June in the year 
of our Lord 1771. 

"Signed Wm. Tryon. 

"By His Excellency's command, 

"Js. Edwards, P. Sec'' 

What were the effects of the War of the Regulation, 
since every act has its influence and every cause its conse- 
quence ? Did the Regulators hasten or delay their deliver- 
ance? Did they snffer unmeted punishments? Were they 
subdued into cowed submission or were they not finally 
vindicated? 

Though some took the test oath becoming loyal to King 
George, some took it and remained neutral; more took it 
refraining themselves from fighting but making up for it 
in helping others, as did old Mr. Moser, on the Great Ala- 
mance, who encouraged his six or seven sons to be " Whigs 
of the Revolution." Some of the Regulators who had 
sworn to Tryon took Dr Caldwell's advice and considered 
iheir oath a broken contract. Others there were who did 
not take it — as Jas. Hunter, But'er, Wm. Trousdale, etc. 

*Gen. Butler of the Battle of Guilford Court House. His home was at 
Swepsonville, Alamance county, N. C. 



68 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

These were the immediate results, but were there none 
further reaching? 

In those days a thous ind men and more banded for a 
purpose against a common wrong were not without influ- 
ence. Because of hardships sustained and their hopes of 
the Regulators not realized, fifteen thousand people moved 
to Tennessee, prefering the western wilds to oppression in 
their homes. Many went in a band from this section. 
The battle of Alamance was in May, 1771 ; before Septem- 
ber Tryon was gone. 

After the battle Tryon remained in the neighborhood of 
the Great Alamance and Sandy Creek for a week or more. 
Then he marched through the beautiful country of the Yad- 
kin to meet Waddell at Salisbury that together they might 
intimidate the people and force them to respect the author- 
ity of North Carolina. 

But unaware was he that this was only stirring up ani- 
mosity and charging with vengeance such troops of men as 
first organized the Black Boys of Mecklenburg and Con- 
cord Hornet's Nest. The blood of the Regulation was the 
seed of the Mecklenburg Declaration. 

Tryon and Fauning sowed the "Dragon's teeth" that 
yielded a harvest manifold and bitter strife of Whigs and 
Tories that has not yet died out of the blood of the people 
of Alamance. 

Sometimes a burning emotion held in check will ripen 
to a perfect fruitage. It was but natural that the Battle of 
Alamance caused Mecklenburg to reason within herself. 
We were not too far away, you see, to excite her sympathy. 

The war of the Regulation ripened North Carolina for 
the coming stupendous change in which her people would 
fight with Massachusttts for the second Magna Charta. This 
was not the first time this people had revolted (for the same 
blood had fought at Runnymede), yet this was the first les- 
son in the history of a new nation — that of the United 
States of America. 



CHAPTER XIT. 



PYLE'S HACKING MATCH. 

Two miles south of Burlington on the Jerry Holt farm, 
on the old road a little back of the present one, occurred a 
decisive battle of the Revolution. 

Cornwallis was at Hillsboro offering "guineas and lands 
to those who would enlist under his banner," but he "could 
not get one hundred men in all the Regulator's country 
€ven as militia." Tarleton was encamped with his army 
at CNeal's plantation — now Burlington cemetery. He was 
there to attract the Tories to his army, thus preparing for 
an attack on Pickens. Col. Pyles was collecting troops 
for Tarleton and was marching to join him only a mile or 
so away. 

Col. Pyles had been a Regulator and after the battle of 
Alamance, Governor Tryon had imprisoned his wagons 
and other property. He took the oath of allegiance and, 
feeling bound by it became a Tory in the Revolution. His 
followers were his fellow sufferers. 

Light Horse Harry Lee — father of Gen. R. E. Lee — and 
Capt. Joseph Graham — father of William A. Graham — 
were aiding Pickens to torment Tarleton and to be a 
"scourge" as Cornwallis had said, "of the British army." 

*I will quote from Judge Schenck's book who gives the 
unvarnished story as related by Joseph Graham. Speaking 
of Lee's and Pickens' forces he says : " The whole army 
moved a few miles and encamped at an adjacent farm for 
the night. The next day it was in motion, in different 
directions, nearly tlie whole day ; but did not go far, beat- 
ing down nearer Hillsboro The two corps kept near each 
other, though they moved and encamped seperately, as they 

*Capt. James A. Turrentine gave Judge Schenck the details ; he also gave them to 
me. Capt. Turrentine is my authority, the best there is on Pyles' Hacking Match. 



70 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE 

had done the previous evening. Reconnoitering parties, 
which were sent out in the evening and returned in the 
night, gave notice of a detachment passing from Hillsboro 
towards the ford on Haw River. 

" Pickens and Lee put their forces in motion at an early 
hour, and came into the great road eight miles west of 
Hillsboro, near Mebane's farm. 

" The whole of the militia cavalry, seventy in number, 
that had swords, were placed under Captain Graham, in 
the rear of Lee's horse. Those of Graham's men as had 
not swords were ordered to join another company. They 
followed the enemy's trail on the road to Haw River, with 
the cavalry in front 

" During the whole day's march every man expected a 
battle and hard fighting. Men's countenances on such oc- 
casions indicate something which can be understood better 
than described. The countenances of the whole militia, 
throughout the day, never showed better. 

These soldiers then, said Capt. Jas. A. Turrentine wore 
citizens clothes and could not be recognized as the enemy. 

"Maj. Dickson, of Lincoln, who commanded the column 
on our right (when the disposition for attack had been 
made at the last form) had been thrown out of his proper 
order of march by the fences and a branch, and when Pyle's 
men were first seen by the militia they were thought to be 
the party under Dickson, which had come round the plan- 
tation and gotten in the road before them. On coming 
within twenty steps of them, Capt. Graham discovered the 
mistake ; seeing them with cleaner clothes than Dickson's 
party, and each man having a strip of red cloth on his hat. 
Graham, riding alongside of Captain Eggleston, who com- 
manded the rear of Lee's horse, remarked to him : " That 
company are Tories. What is the reason they have their 
arms?" Captain Eggleston, addressing a good looking 
man at the end of the line, supposed to be an ofhcer, in- 
quired, " To whom do you belong ? " The man promptly re- 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 7 1 

plied "A friend to his majesty." Whereupon Captain Eggle- 
ston struck him over the head. The miiitia looking- on 
and waiting for orders, on this example being set, rushed on 
them like lightning and cut away. The noise in the rear 
attracted the notice of Lee's men, and they turned their 
horses short to the right about five steps, and in less than a 
minute the attack was made along the whole line. 

" Ninety loyalists were killed. The next day our militia 
counted ninety-three dead, and there was appearance of 
many more being carried off by their friends There were 
certainly many more wounded. 

" At the time the action commenced, Lee's dragoons, in 
the open order of march, extended about the same distance 
with Pyle's men, who were in close order, and on horse- 
back ; and most of them having come from home on that 
day, were clean, like men who now turn out to a review. 
Lee's movement was as if he were going to pass them five 
or six steps on the left of their line. When the alarm was 
given in the rear, as quickly as his men could turn their 
horses, they were engaged ; and as the Tories were over 
two to one of our actual cavalry, by pressing forward they 
went through their line, leaving a number behind them. 
The continual cry by the Tories was, ' You are killing 3'our 
own men. I am a friend to his majesty. Hurrah for King 
George !' 

"Finding iheir professions of loyalty, and a'l they could 
say were of no avail, and only the signal for their destruc- 
tion, twe've or fifteen of those whom Lee's men had gone 
through, and who had thrown down their guns, now deter- 
mining to sell their lives as dearly as possible, jumped to 
their arms and began to fire in every direction, making the 
cavalry give back a little. But as soon as their guns were 
empty, they were charged upon on every side by more than 
could get at them, and cut down in a group together. All 
the harm done by their fire was that a dragoon's horse was 
shot down. Falling very suddenly, and not moving after- 



72 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE 

ward, the rider's leg was caught under him, and by all his 
efforts he could not extricate himself, until the action be- 
gan to slacken, when two of his comrades dismounted and 
rolled the horse off him. 

" Lee's men had so recently come to the South that they 
did not understand the usual marks of distinction between 
Whig and Tory, and ifter the first onset, when all became 
mixed, they inquired of each man, before they attacked 
him, to whom he belonged. The enemy readily answered, 
' To King George.' To many of their own militia the}- 
put the same question. Fortunately no mistake occurred, 
though in some instances there was great danger of it. 

"At the close of the action the troops were scattered and 
mixed through each other — completely disorganized. 

" Lee's men, though under excellent discipline, could 
with difficulty be gotten in order. The commandants ex- 
hibited great perturbation, until at length Lee ordered 
Major Rudolph to lead off and his dragoons to fall in be- 
hind them ; Captain Graham received the same order as to 
the militia dragoons, and by the time the line had moved 
a quarter of a mile there was the same order as when we 
met Pyle. Lee himself, while they were formirg, stayed 
in the rear of his own corps and in front of Graham's, and 
ordered one of the sergeants to go directly back and get a 
pilot from among the Tories and bring him forward with- 
out delay. The sergeant in a short time returned with a 
middle-aged man who lived near by, and who had received 
a slight wound on the head and was bleeding freely. The 
sergeant apologized to the Colonel because he could find 
none who were not wounded. Lee asked him several ques- 
tions relative to the roads, farms, water courses, etc.; how 
far O'neal's plantation (where Tarleton then was, now Bur- 
lington cemetery) was situated ; whether open, woods, hills 
or level. 

'After answering the several questions, and after an in- 
terval of about a minute, while Lee appeared to be medi- 
tating the man addressed him : ' Well, God bless your soul, 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. "J}, 

Mr. Tarleton, you have this day killed a parcel of as good 
subjects as ever his Majesty had.' Lee, who at this time 
was not in the humor for quizzing, interrupted him, say- 
ing : * You d rascal, if you call me Tarleton I will take 

off your head. I will undeceive you ; we are the Ameri- 
cans and not the British, I am Lee of the American Le- 
gion and not Tarleton.' The poor fellow appeared chop 
fallen." 

This was a decisive battle. The enemy lost ninety men 
or more ; the Americans lost none. This action so crip- 
pled the Tory forces that they fled. Cornwallis sent sev-' 
eral messengers to bid Tarleton hasten to Hillsboro. Pyles 
hacking match occurred February 25, 1781. Before the 
next day dawned he was out of this action and well on his 
way. 

Pyles' hacking match struck terror to the hearts of the 
Tories of Randolph and Chatham. They were never or- 
ganized again during the war. " There were maurading 
parties of bandits who stole and plundered, but their forces 
were never again brought together as a military organi- 
zation. 

" If Pyles had succeeded in joining Tarleton, and the 
American forces fallen into his hands next day, as he ex- 
pected, the tears would only have been transposed from 
Tory to Whig homes, and the weeping and lamentations 
would have made patriots, instead of traitors, shudder at 
the result. 

" Tarleton had marched to intercept the detachments of 
militia under Preston, Armstrong and Winston, who were 
on their way to reinforce Pickens ; and the massacre of 
Pyles was a fortunate circumstance, from the British stand- 
point, that prevented the extermination of Tarleton's com- 
mand " — Schenck. 

Greene was now in North Carolina. His troops were 
gathering. Cornwallis was so harrassed that he left Hills- 
boro and came to Alamance February 26. The battle of 
Guilford Court House was ahead. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



THE BATTLE OF LINDLEY'S MILL. 

Cane Creek rims across southern Alamance, draining the 
Cane Creek Mountains and emptying into Haw River. It 
took its name from the reeds that used to grow on its banks. 
It is said to have "run bad watei " in time of the Revolu- 
tion. "The Tories," they said, "lived on its banks." It 
did, indeed, run troublesome water. 

For about Friend's meeting-house, at Cane Creek, Corn- 
wallis camped en route to Hillsboro to gather Tory recruits 
after the battle of Guilford Court House. The chair he sat 
in is still at Thomas C. Dixon's, and the stone house in 
which he slept is there — a monument to his memory. That 
the Whigs might not capture them he threw his cannon in 
the mill pond. They have not been taken out. 

At that place Herman Husbands had been a member of 
the society of Friends. In the old meeting house he had 
married Mary Pugh. There he had shown, too, his unruly 
disposition to "speak his mind," and to be a leader, or 
rather a man whom men would follow. There, also, had 
lived his wife's brother Pngb, the Regulator, who killed 
seventeen men when he lay behind a rock at the battle of 
Alamance. On the Cane Creek the Whigs and Tories kept 
up a constant nagging at each other. 

It was down stream five or six miles a desperate battle 
was fought — known as the Battle of Lindley's Mill. 

In the early records at Hillsboro is found this agreement: 
" Hugh Laughlin, Planter, on the one part, and Thomas 
Lindley, Planter, on the other, have agreed to become part- 
ners and in joint company to erect and build a water grist 
mill on Cane Creek, on the south side of Haw River. The 
water to be taken out of that part of land owned by Hugh 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 75 

Laughlin and the mill to be built on that part owned by 
Thomas Lindley 3^ acres. Sept. Court 1755." 

That desperado David Fannen, who hated hiim:mityand 
became a Tory to take vengeance into his own hands, was 
conversant with this place, since he was, in these parts, 
almost omniscent and omnipresent. A man named Lind- 
ley had given him his famous *'' Red Doe." To this mill 
he was leading the forces that had captured Governor Burke 
at Hillsboro. 

This specimen of Tory doggerel likely tells the truth : 

"The Governor and Council in Hillsboro sought 

To establish some new laws the Tories to stop; 

They thought themselves safe, and so went on with their show, 

But the force of bold Fannen proved their overthrow. 

We took Governor Burke with a sudden surprise, 

As he sat on horse back and just ready to ride; 

We took all their cannon and colors in town. 

And formed oar brave boys and marched out of town; 

But the rebels waylaid us and gave us a broadside; 

The flower of our company was wounded, full sore. 

'Twas Capt. McNeill and two or three more." 

Kirk's Old Field is on the road between Hillsboro and 
Lindley's mill. Old Kirk was an Englishman and a hat- 
ter. The Tories suspected "him of playing fast and loose," 
and tried to kill him afterwards for it. He lived in a "Whig 
region " — that on Haw Creek — (Mr. Frank Crawford lives 
at Kirk's place now). 

In a lane at this place twenty-five Whigs spent the night, 
and engaged in a fight with a band of Tories about day- 
light of 14th of September, 1781. These Whigs were on 
their way to meet Greene in Guilford, with the hope of 
keeping Tories away from Hillsboro and to aid Gen. But- 
ler and Col. Mebane to waylay the troop with the Whig 
Governor as prisoner. 

"Kirk's Old Field " was a fight between Capt. Young, a 
Whig, with his men, and the Edwards brothers, of the 
neighborhood of Antioch Baptist Church, in Orange. 

Two men were killed on each side. Capt, Young and 

*A mare, the breed of which still exists. 



76 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

liis adversary Edwards were among the number. (A son 
of Capt. Young was Capt. Young of 18 12.) 

The Battle of Lindley's Mill occurred Sept. 14, 1781, 
about noon. On the day before Col. Hector IMcNeill, Capt. 
McLean, McDougal and Fannen — about twenty-one or 
twenty-two in all — rode into Hillsboro in broad daylight 
and captured Governor Burke and thirteen others, one es- 
caping. Capt. Clendenen, of Alamance, was there, but got 
away in the morning before being taken. 

At the Battle of Lindley's Mill the Tory forces, collected, 
numbered six hundred ; the Whigs, three hundred. The 
Tories were led by Col. McNeill and his successor, McDou- 
gal, the Scotch scorning to fight under Col. Fannen ; Gen. 
Butler, Col. John " McBane " and his brother. Col. Robert 
Mebane, led the Whigs. The Tories fought in the low- 
land on the defensive ; the Whigs fought from the bluff, 
and for a time held the better situation. Seven Tories 
were killed at the first blast of battle, among the number 
that brave Scot, Col. McNeill. 

North of the mill is the height upon which Col. Robert 
Mebane showed his courage and military skill The hill 
becoming surrounded by double their number of Tories, 
the Whigs grew disheartened and Gen. Butler showed his 
propensity for running — "tried to run.'' Col. Robert Me- 
bane seized the situation, rallied his forces. He filled his 
hat with ammunition, passed it around with encouragement 
to fight. 

The Whigs almost gained the victory. A hundred To- 
ries were killed, among them some of their best. It was 
whispered that Gov. Burke would be killed if the Tories 
were too hard pressed. Fannen led them across the creek 
and through Chatham. They met some resistance at Hick- 
ory Mt., but soon got over Deep River, where they were 
safe in the Tory regions. 

Many were wounded on both sides, among them one 
Malcome Downey, whose sister walked seventy-five miles 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 77 

from Robeson county to care for him. He died. McLaugh- 
lin's daughters, who lived on the brow of a hill a little west, 
attended both Whigs and Tories. One brave officer, being 
wounded, was carried to the loft of a house near by, on the 
walls of which he wrote his name, dipping his finger in his 
own blood. 

The war of the Revolution was over. The battle of 
Lindley's Mill was the result of Whig and Tory venom. 
It was the smothering away of that Vesuvius-like eruption,, 
the War of the Revolution. 



CHAPTER XIY. 



GERMAN REFORMED AND LUTHERAN CHURCHES. 

German immigration to America grew out of the fearful 
results of the thirty years' war that left their country deso- 
late and made existence there intolerable. After this came 
the French invasion of the Rhine country. The homes of 
the Protestants became a homeless waste. The new world 
opened an asylum. Thousands left their native land by 
wav of England to reach a home in the wilderness. Most 
of these landed in Pennsylvania which was becoming 
Germanized. 

During the period between 1778-1775 the archives of 
the colony of Pennsylvania record the names of more than 
30,000 persons who landed at the port of Philadelphia. 
From this colony the German immigrants to North Caro- 
lina to a great extent came. 

The most valuable lands in Pennsylvania were taken up. 
The Proprietor Granville offered advantageous terms to set- 
tlers. The resources, climate and fertility of soil attracted 
industrious people thither. 

A goodly number of the Pennsylvania Dutch settled in 
Alamance and neighboring territory. Those who settled in 
Alamance stopped on the fertile banks of the Great Ala- 
mance and the Stinking Quarter Cieeks. These were 
Albrights, Isleys, Sharps, Holts, Clapp, Fousts, *Emigs, 
Kimes etc. etc. etc. 

These people had but little to do with affairs of State 
because they could not speak English very well, they spoke 
Gearman. They held no civil office, but they made good 
soldiers when the Cherokee Indians came against them. 
When called from their loom-making, cloth-weaving, dairy- 
ing and agricultural pursuits, to attend to the lawyers and 
lawmakers at Hillsboro in 1771 — to be sure they went with 
*Ainick. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 79 

a vengance, like a storm as farmers and men of the soil are 
wont to do when called to adjust such affairs. 

The Alamance Germans adhered to the German Reform 
and Lutheran Churches which are closely allied. The 
German Reform Church came from the high lands of Ger- 
many, Switzerland, and were the followers of Calvin as the 
Lutheran Church followed Luther. 

These settlers of Alamance not only brought their bibles 
(we frequently run across these old German bibles) but 
they had scarcely reared a log cabin and cleared a few acres 
of land when they began to build a schoolhouse that served 
as a place of worship. After better days a more comfortable 
house of worship was reared but near it still stood the 
schoolhouse. The school masters — that essential character 
in every German community — supplied the place of the min- 
ister. However, during their great scarcity of ministers, 
and the Revolutionary war they kept their identity ; and 
they were Whigs decidedly. 

" A people that had forsaken all and fled to the wilder- 
ness, with the hope to enjoy freedom to worship God, could 
not be made the creatures of tyrannical government such 
as that of George III, of England." Rev. Welker. 

Their first church was a log building near Law's Church 
now, on the old road from Hillsboro to Salisbury. It was 
a L^nion Lutheran and German Reformed Church. This 
iinion was severed by different sentiments growing out of 
the Regulation movement and the rebellion of the colonies. "*" 
Rev. Samuel Luther of Mecklenburg county, an advanced 
Whig patriot was the Reformed pastor under whose inspiring 
guidance the Albrights, Ingolds, Schenck and Leinber- 
gers were led to a schoolhouse (near Brick church now) 
and there undisturbed by factional differences erected an 
altar for worship. Luther was pastor until the close of the 
war and was the animating spirit of the community. Then 
Ludwig Clapp and Christian Faust were elders and Ingold 

*They could'nt pray satisfactorily to all since some were Tories and others Whigs. 



8o THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

and Linberger deacons. Rev. Bithahn succeeded Luther. 
After who.se death the Rev. Lorety visited it to preach four 
times in a year. In 1801 Rev. Mr. DiefFenbach was pastor 
for six years. Jacob Clapp and John Greff (Graves) were 
Elders. 

In 181 2 Capt. W. Albright, an Elder in the church, was 
sent to attend the Reformed Synod in Philadelphia, to se- 
cure a pastor for this charge. (Wm. Albright was a patriot 
captain in 1776.) Rev Mr. Reley was deputed by the 
Synod. In 182 1 Rev. John Rudy became pastor. In 1828 
Rev J. H. Crawford, of Maryland, was elected his successor. 
In 1 84 1 Rev. G. William Welker took charge and contin- 
ued there for more than forty years. Capt. Wm. Albright, 
Barney Clapp, Nathan Schenck and others of his church 
were Regulators. George Goertner was the civil leader of 
this community of Germans. This is the history of the 
earliest Reformed Church — first in conjunction with the 
Lutherans at Law's but after the division — Brick Church. 

From this Steiner's or Stoner's church sprang in 1758, 
with Rev. Weyberg as first pastor. He was succeeded by 
Leinbach, a foreign German. Then its pastors were the 
same as those of Brick Church. 

The founders of Stoner's church were the Albrights (Al- 
brechts). Fausts, Basons, Ephlands, Gerhards, Loys, Longs, 
Shaddies (Schades), Steiners, Nease, Trollingers, Sharps 
(Scheabe) and others whose descendants still people the 
fertile region on the waters of Haw River, Alamance Creek, 
and Stinking Quarter. 

These immigrants were mostly from the Counties of 
Schuylkill and Berks in Pennsylvania and from Maryland- 

Their house of worship in order to be central was erected 
on the peninsular between Alamance and Stinking Quarter 
streams. 

In its earliest days Jacob Albright, Peter Sharp and John 
Faust were the Elders ; Philip Snotherly and David Eph- 
land, the Deacons. 



CHAPTER XV. 



HAW FIELDS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 

Haw Fields was the home church of all the old Presby- 
terian settlers in Alamance. It was organized a little later 
than Dr. Caldwell's church at Alamance, so finely described 
in Dr. Wiley's novel. Its first pastor was Rev. Dr. Henry 
Patillo, then Rev. Mr. Hugh McAden, Rev. Mr. W. Pais- 
ley, Dr. Archibald Currie, etc. 

Haw Fields was the intellectual centre of northern Ala- 
mance. It was not only the intellectual and religious, but 
also the political centre. Its members were Whigs of the 
Revolution. After a victory they were accustomed to meet 
to give thanks for it. On one occasion an influential mem- 
ber arose and left the house during services. Being ques- 
tioned, he replied he did not expect to stay anywhere and 
hear them give the Lord all the thanks and Robert Mebane 
none. The government there was a theocracy, something 
like that of the Hebrews. Like David, they believed God 
was a God of battles. They may have been rightabout it. 

One can imagine the religious feeling then existing if he 
will consider for a moment the state of affairs. While the 
people of Haw Fields- were praying for the war to proceed 
with deadly effect on the Tories, the Quakers on Cane Creek 
were praying for peace and King George's rule rather than 
no rule ; the Stoners congregation were praying for the 
Whigs, while at St. Paul's they prayed for the Tories. 
These latter congregations conversed, prayed and swore in 
German, unintelligible to the Scotch at Haw Fields and 
the English Quakers on Cane Creek. 

The Haw Fields, the Cane Creek and the German settle- 
ments make an almost perfect right angle triangle, the right 
angle being in the German settlement on the Great Ala- 
6 



82 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

mance, its hypothenuse from Haw Fields to Cane Creek 
about fifteen miles. This triangle was the scene of many- 
important events. In it was fought the Battle of Alamance, 
Tryon and Corn wal lis made their raids across it, German 
settlers were Americanized and Presbyterianized (if that 
term be allowed.) Albrights, Holts and Fousts are now 
Presbyterians. * 

The first settlers in Haw Fields were the Freelands, Col. 
Alexander Mebane and his six sons, Whig officers, the 
Tates, the Johnsons, Craigs, Gen. Butler, James Hunter, 
James Stockard, William Trousdale, Stephen White, Turn- 
ers, Clendenens. They settled in Haw Fields, attracted by 
the fertile land and rolling savannahs. The forest has for 
the most part grown up since. 

In Rev. Mr. Hugh McAden's journal is the following : 
" On Monday evening I rode to the Haw Fields, where I 
preached the fourth Sabbath in August — Aug. 24, 1755 — 
to a considerable congregation, chiefly Presbyterians, who 
seemed highly pleased and very desirous to hear the Word 
preached again on Tuesday ; the people came out to hear 
quite beyond expectation." 

The original records of the first twenty-five years of 
Orange Presbytery were destroyed by fire in the house of 
Dr. John Witherspoon, in January, 1827. Tbe first re- 
corded meeting of Orange Presbytery now in existence is 
dated Nov. 18, 1795. 

♦Some belong to the Episcopal and other churches. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



SCHOOLS OF ALAMANCE. 

The incorporated schools of Alamance were Graham 
Institute, chartered 1851 ; Jefferson Academy, chartered 
1861 ; Graham High School, chartered 1879; Graham Nor- 
mal College, chartered 1881. 

Before 1776 there were German schools along the Ala- 
mance Creeks and Stinking Quarter. Near every church 
was a schoolhouse. Onr early German settlers preferred 
teachers to preachers. In many cases the teacher did the 
preaching. Among the first things they did after settling 
was to build a schoolhouse. And they came about 1840. 

Herr Johaunis Scherer was school master in 1800. He 
taught a little way west of the Alamance Battle ground. 
His students were from these families : Albrights, Clapps, 
Fausts, Holts, Sharps (Scherbs). Laws, Graves (Greflf), 
Summers, Cobbs (Kaub>), Cobles, Swings (Schwenks)^ 
Cortners (Goertners), Ingolds, Browers, Keims, Staleys^ 
Ways, Amicks (Emigs), Neases, Ingles, Leinbergers, Wy- 
ri:ks, Anthonevs, Scheaffers (Shepherds), Weitzells, Trol- 
lingers, Longs, Isleys, Shoffners, Reitzells. 

In 1812 provision wa<=: made for teaching English. In 
1828 English became the principal language. Some of 
their old German text books are still to be found lying 
around. 

The Quakers had Schools about Cane Creek and Spring 
Meeting house. Sylvan Academy has been taught by Jas- 
per Thompson ; Dellia Newlin and Clarkson Blair ; D. 
Matt Thompson and his wife; Mr. Tomlinson ; Albert 
Peele and others. 

About 1818 Miss Mary Mendenhall taught on the Pitts- 
boro road a mile south of Mairie's Creek. 



Note.— Educational affairs in Alamance are in a sad state. 



34 THE HISTORY OF ALAMA^XE. 

Wesley Yeargan taught at Spring Meeting house eighty 
years ago. His salary was thirty dollars per month, and 
board. Among his thirty students was Nathaniel Woody. 
The teacher treated Christmas on whiskey. 

Henry Patillo, one of the early pastors at Haw Fields 
"was one of the earliest and best teachers in the State." 
This was in 1765. He was a Scotch-Irish Presbyterian of 
influence so great that Tryon selected him to pacify the 
Regulators. He was a delegate to the Provincial Congress 
of 1775, presiding in the committee of the whole, a'so 
acting as chaplain. Besides a volume of sermons he pub- 
lished a ''school-book probably the first in ihe State, a 
geography by question and answer, a creditable pi educ- 
tion. " It was prmted in 1796 by Abraham Hodge, and 
dedicated to General Davie. 

Rev. Patillo accepted a call from Haw Fields 1764. 

Before 1776 Richard Stanford had a largely patronized 
school at Robert Scott's, ntar Haw Fields Church. 
Among his students were Thomas Hart Benton, a senator 
from Missouri, John Taylor, forty years Clerk of Superior 
Court of Orange, and Stephen White. Richard Stanford 
was a member of Congress. His wife was the daughter of 
-Gen. Alex. Mebane. Capt. S. H. Webb and the Stan fords 
in Alamance are his descendants. 

Rev. John DeBow succeeded Patillo in 1775 as teacher 
and preacher at Haw Field.«. He was an uncle of Archi- 
bald Murphy and William Hodge. 

It is likely that all the old time Presbyterian preacheis 
were teachers. It is true they had the supervision of 
schools. Rev. William Paisley labored at Haw Fields as 
teacher and preacher 1800-1820. 

Some w.iys north of William Paisley's school in the neigh- 
borhood of Cross Roads Prof. William Bingham taught 
calling his place Mount Repose. Among his students were 
the Hon. Giles Mebane who gave Dr. Battle this account 
of him : " In appearance he was about five, six inches tall. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 85 

no surplus flesh, weighing 150 or 160 pounds ; very quick 
and brisk in his movements walked erect, like a well drilled 
soldier ; was bald — the boys nicknamed him ' old Slick,'' 
walked three miles to church on Sunday, leading his board- 
ers ; was reasonably talkative and some time jocose but 
never undignified. He whipped with well trimmed hick- 
ories, of which he kept a supply equal to the demand. He 
whipped in discharge of a duty to his patrons, rather than 
to punish the boys. Whipping was imported from Ireland, 
but lost nothing of its usefulness in America as adminis- 
tf^red by the elder Bingham. The schoolhouse was of logs 
with one chimney and one stove. In front of the door was 
a leaf arbor for study in good weather. Oa one occasion 
I was dancing furiously under the arbor The old man 
came to the door and said ; ' Aye ! Aye ! Giles !' The 
matter ended there. He had several log cabins built near 
his house and in them the boys lodged and studied such 
books as Casar and Virgil and imbibed classical ideas. His 
reputation as an educator drew scholars from a distance. 
When I was at the school there was one from Virginia and 
one from New Orleans. The average number was thirty- 
five or forty. He had no assistant. 'This was Maj R. 
Bingham's grand father. He was Professor of ancient Lan- 
guages in the University of North Carolina 180 1-5." He 
was an honor graduate of the University of Glasgow, a 
Sco':ch-Irish of Ulster; emigrated about 1788 on account 
of political troubles, landing in Delaware and from there 
to Wilmington N. C. 

Archibald DeBow Murphey, who lived at the Curtis place 
east of Swepsonville, taught law. Among his pupils were 
Thomas Hill, the Moreheads and Judge Jesse Turner of 
Arkansas. 

Daniel Turrentine taught in the Haw Field country from 
1800 to 1830. "Among his children were James C. Tur- 
rentine for sixteen years sheriff of Orange and at one time 

Note —For an account of Hon. Murphy and Judge Ruffin see " L,ives of Disti:s 
gui.shed North Carolinians,'' by W. J. Peele. 



86 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

a teacher ; John Turrentine for many years a teacher and 
surveyor, his sons were Samuel, James and .William of Bur- 
lington. Judge Jesse Turner was a pupil of Daniel." 

In 1813 John H. Pickard opened a classical school near 
the residence of Rev. William Paisley and Mr. James Mebane. 

About 1830 Jonathan Worth, afterwards lawyer, Treasurer 
and Governor of the State, taught at Providence Church in 
Graham. He was succeeded by Burcheet, a scholarly and 
progressive man, by whose agency a good library was pur- 
■chased. Then came Dr. Wm. F. Basin (i838-'4o). Rev. 
John R. Holt "taught in Graham in 1840." 

He had had a school near Bethel Church in South Ala- 
mance called Mount Energy High School. Rev. Mr. Holt 
was partly educated at Chapel Hill. Though not a grad- 
uate he was a " good scholar," and prepared boys for the 
University. Dr. Grissom was prepared for college there, 
also Lewis B. Holt a promising scholar who was being edu- 
cated at Chapel Hill by Mr. Michael Holt when he died 
there. Other students were Dr. Pleasant A. Holt, W. F. 
Stroud, A. Turentine, Joseph McCulloch and Little Ed. 
Holt. 

Dr. Alexander Wilson was born in County Down, Ire- 
land, at Ballylesson. His father, of the same name, was 
wealthy but lost it all by standing security. The son re- 
ceived an excellent education with a view to becoming a 
physician. Obtaining a diploma from the governor and 
directors of Apothecaries Hall, Dublin, he emigrated to 
America 1818. His wife came afterwards. They settled 
in New York City where he taught. Later they came to 
North Carolina where he taught in McPeeter's school in 
Raleigh, in Granville, Greensboro and Hillsboro. In 1845 
he moved to Burnt Shop, near Haw Fields Church, buying 
land of Hon. A. Murphy. He changed its name to Melville. 
His was a select, private, clas.'-ical school. He employed as 
his assistant. Dr. A. Wilson of Caswell, the same name but 
xio relation. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 87 

His students were: Col. Morehead, Eu?ene Morehead, 
Turner Tate, Turner Morehead, Henry Lindsay, Robert 
and William Shaw, Arch Staton, Tom Roulack, John and 
James Wilson, Rev. Mr. Tom, Joe. Scales, Henry Ayer,. 
Absalom Simonton, Craige Thompson, William Mebane, 
June and Charley Austin, W. A. and Jas. Faucette, Dr. Sam. 
Grier, Richard Blackledge, Hannis Taylor, J. A. and George 
Long, D. A. Long, Samuel Patterson, T. B. Bailey, John 
A. McMurray, Joe Holmes, Jas. A. Richardson, Ed. Rich- 
ardson (of Jackson Miss.) Jas. Morehead, Ike R. Strayhorn, 
John A. Gilmer, Mr. Ramsay (of Ireland,) Mr. Hardee (of 
Texas), George F. Dixon, Jno. J. White, John W. and Geo. 
Basin, B. F. White, J. I. and W. P. White, Elbridge and 
Monroe Cook, George, John and Scott Albright, Currie 
Russel, Cornelius Patton, Jas. A. and H. C. Dixon, L. B. 
and Lawrence Holt, Samuel K. Scott, J. R. Newlin, Mayor 
Van Wyck, of New York, etc., etc. Dr. Wilson's sons 
were Railroad Commissioner Maj. J. W. Wilson and Mr. 
Robert Wilson a merchant of Richmond Virginia. 

Rev. William Nelson and his wife, a Virginia lady con- 
ducted a flourishing school for young ladies in Graham on 
Mebane Avenue. They were assisted by Miss Paisley of 
Guilford. 

The Graham Institute was inaugurated by Rev. W. H. 
Doherty, A. M., who was trained at the Royal Belfast In- 
stitution in Ireland. He had been senor professor in An- 
tioch College, Ohio. He was assisted by his daughter Miss 
Mary and a fine music teacher, Miss Carrie Comer. This 
institution was merged into the Graham Normal College 
Drs. D. A. and W. S. Long being joint principals for several 
years. Then H. Jerome Stockard and Mr. Smedes of Ral- 
eigh taught ; later Dr. J. U. Newman and Mr. S. A. Hol- 
leman. The College stood in southern part of Graham 
near Mr. L. B. Holt's and was burned. 

Since then the school in Graham has degenerated. A 
new building stands on northwest side of town. 



88 THK HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

Elon Collegfe was built by the Christian Church of North 
Carolina and Virginia. Dr. W. S. Long was its first presi- 
dent ; -he was succeeded by Dr. W. W. Staly of Virginia. 
This college is virtually an outgrowth of Graham Normal 
College. Dr. J. U. Newman, Prof S. A. Holleman, and 
Prof. Atkinson are the leading members of the faculty. 
The degrees, A. B. and A. M., are granted after a four or 
five years course. 

Burlington has several small schools. She ought to sup- 
port a good graded school. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



COTTON MANUFACTURING IN AI^AMANCE. 

Fifty years ago our people raised a patch of cotton as 
they raised a patch of flax — enough for family use. There 
was no distribution of labor, or scarcely anything except 
the crude and hixurious latent energy. Cotton seed were 
picked out by hand — the same hand that planted, hoed, 
spun and wove it. A few courageous men have changed 
all this in North Carolina, and first among that num- 
ber is Mr. Edwin M. Holt, whose ancestors were Ala- 
mance people as well as himself and his children. Every 
man who, by his own energy, accomplishes, lifts up those 
about him. 

The following article was prepared by Governor Holt, 
and it is more valuable than anything I could say on the 
subject, because it gives the spirit, thrift and foresight of 
those who paved the way for manufacturing cotton in North 
Carolina : 

" My father, the late Edwin M. Holt, possessed a fine 
mind and a remarkable aptitude for mechanics. He was 
married during the year 1828, and about that time com- 
menced his business career by running a small farm and a 
store. 

"About the year 1836 there was in Greensboro a Mr. 
Henry Humphries, who was engaged in running at that 
place a cotton mill by steam. Following the natural in- 
clination of his mind for mechanical pursuits, my father 
made it convenient to visit Greensboro often, and as often 
as he went there he always made it his business and pleas- 
ure to call on Mr. Humphries. The two began to like each 
other very much, and soon became good friends, and the 
more my father examined and saw into the working of Mr. 



90 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

Humphries' mill, the more he deteimined to go into the 
business himself. 

" Some time about the year 1836 he mentioned the mat- 
ter to his father, hoping that the old gentleman would ap- 
prove of his plans, and as he at the time owned a grist-mill 
on Alamance creek, about one mile from his home (the 
water-power of the creek being sufficient to run both the 
grist-mill and a small cotton factory), and he reasoned that 
if his father would join him in the enterprise and erect a 
cotton factory on his site on Alamance creek, all would be 
well. 

" But his father utterly opposed his scheme and did all 
he could to dissuade his son from embarking in the enter- 
prise. Not discouraged by this disappointment, he next 
applied to his brother-in-law, William A. Carrigan, to join 
him, and he considered the matter for a long time, not be- 
ing able to make up his mind one way or the other as to 
what he would do. 

" Finally, without waiting for his brother-in-law's an- 
swer, he went to Patterson, New Jersey, and gave the order 
for the making of the machinery, not then knowing where 
he would locate his mill. On his return from Patterson, 
N. J., he stopped over in Philadelphia, where he met at the 
United States Hotel the late Chief Justice Ruffin. 

"Chief Justice Ruffin at that time owned a water-power 
and a grist-mill on Haw River, the place now being known 
as Swepsonville. He remarked to my father that he was 
going to build a cotton factory, and asked him where he 
was going to locate it. My father replied that he wanted 
to put it at his father's mill-site on Alamance creek, but 
thai the old gentleman was so much opposed to it that he 
did not know whether he would allow it or not. 

" Chief Justice Ruffin then said he did not wish to inter- 
fere in any arrangements between his father and himself, 
but that if his father held out in his opposition, he woald 
be glad to have him locate his mill at his place on Haw 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 9I 

River, and if he wished a partner he would be glad to enter 
into partnership with him, and if he did not desire a part- 
ner, but wanted to borrow any money, he would be glad to 
loan him as much as he desired to borrow. 

" On his return home my father repeated this conversa- 
tion to his father, who, seeing that he was determined to 
build a cotton factory, proposed to let him have his water- 
power on Alamance creek and to become his partner in the 
enterprise. The latter part of the proposition was declined 
on account of having previously told his father that he 
would not involve him for a cent. 

"The conversation with Chief Justice Ruffin was then 
repeated to Mr. Carrigan, who consented to enter into the 
partnership and join in the undertaking. 

" They bought the water-power on Alamance creek from 
my grandfather at a nominal price, put up the necessary 
buildings and started the cotton factory during the panic 
of 1837. The name of the firm was Holt and Carrigan, 
and they continued to do business under this name until 
1 85 1. 

"About this time Mr. Carrigan's wife died, leaving her 
surviving five sons, the two oldest of whom wtre graduates 
of the University of North Carolina. These two young 
men, desiring to move to the State of Arkansas, their father 
decided to go with them and sold out to my father his in- 
terest in the factory. 

"I was then living in Philadelphia. Mv father needing 
some one to help him in his business affairs, brought me 
home. I went to work with him, eniering upon my duties 
on the 13'h day of October, 1851, continuing in his service 
ten years. 

"In 1853 there came to our place of business on Ala- 
mance creek a Frenchman, who was a dyer, and who was 
' hard up ' and out of money, without friends. He proposed 
to teach me how to color cotton yarns if I would pay him 
the sum of one hundred dollars and give him his board. I 



92 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

persuaded my father to allow me to accept the proposition, 
and immediately went to work with such appliances as we 
could scrape up; these were an eighty-gallon copper boiler 
which my grandfather used for the purpose of boiling pota- 
toes and turnips for his hogs; a large cast-iron wash-pot 
which happened to be in the store on sale at the time. 
With these implements I learned my A, B, C's in dyeing. 

''As speedily as possible we built a dye-house and acquired 
the necessary utensils for dyeing. The Frenchman remained 
with me until I thought I could manage it myself. I got 
along very well, with the exception of dyeing indigo blue. 
Afterwards an expert d^er in blue came out from Philadel- 
phia who taught me the art of dyeing in that color. He 
then put two negro men to work with me, and side by side 
I worked with them at the dye tubs for over eight years. 

" We then put in some four-box looms and commenced 
the manufacture of the class of goods then and now known 
as 'Alamance Plaids.' 

" I am reliably informed that up to that time there never 
had been a yard of plaids or colored cotton goods woven on 
a power loom south of the Potomac river. If this be true, 
I am entitled to the honor of having dyed with my own 
hands and had woven under mv own supervision the first 
yard of colored cotton goods manufactured in the South. 

" While working in the dye-house I wore ovfr-alls made 
of O^naburgs and dyed in the indigo vat. It may be out 
of place to relate a little incident that occurred about this 
time. A few months after my wife and myself were mar- 
ried some of her lady friends from Greensboro were on a 
visit to her. One afternoon they drove down to the mill 
to see the process of dyeing yarn, it being something new. 
They walked into the dye-house, and I observed that my 
wife did not recognize me with my overalls on. So slip- 
ping up beside her I threw my arms around her and kissed 
her. She indignantly drew back and catching up a ' wring- 
ing stick ' (which is about the size of a man's wrist and 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 93 

made out of the best and hardest hickory wood), made for 
me, and but for my making myself immediately known I 
would have paid dearly for my kiss. 

" When Holt and Carrigan started their cotton factory 
they began with 528 spindles. A few years later 16 looms 
were added. When I left the mill, in i86r, there were in 
operation 1,200 spindles and 96 looms. To run these, the 
grist-mill and saw-mill exhausted all the power of Ala- 
mance creek. 

" My father trained all his sons in the manufacturing 
business. As we grew up we branched out for ourselves 
and built other mills. But the plaid business in our fam- 
ily, and I may say in ihe State of North Caiolina, rose from 
and had its beginning at this little mill on the banks of 
Alamance, with its little copper kettle and ordinary wash- 
pot. 

" 1 am glad to be able to state that my grandfather, who 
so bitterly opposed my father in the inauguration of his 
enterprise, and from whom he would never borrow a dollar 
or permit him to endorse his paper — on account of his 
promise in the beginning that his father should not become 
involved in any way on his account — lived to see and re- 
joice ia the success of the enterprise. 

" When the machinery for the facto: y arrived, the mak- 
ers, Messrs. Godwin, Clark & Co., of Patterson, N. J., sent 
an expert along with it to put it up and to run it until my 
father became competent to run it himself. 

" This expert remained about 18 months. In the mean- 
time my father learned how to run it himself — he taking 
care of and managing the mill and his partner, Mr. Carri- 
gan, the store and the keeping of the books. 

" The mill raa 12 hours a day. I was a little fellow — 
only six years old — when the cotton factory started, and 
well do I remember sitting up with my mother waiting for 
my father to come home at night. In the winter time the 
mill would stop at 7 o'clock, and after stopping he would 



94 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

always remain in the mill for half an hour to 5-ee that all 
the lamps were out and the stoves in such a condition as 
there would be no danger of fire. Then he would ride a 
mile and a quarter to his home. 

*' In the morning he would eat his breakfast by daylight 
and be at the mill by 6:30 o'clock to start the machinery 
goinj^. He kept this habit up for several years and until 
his mill was paid for. In the meantime he engaged the 
services of a bright young man from the country and taught 
him how to run the mill. After this young man became 
competent to run the mill, it was turned ovei to him and 
run by him under the supervision of my father.'' 

'' B. J. Lossing says in his ' Pictorial Field Book of the 
Revolution,' published 1849: 'I left the place of Pyles' de- 
feat toward noon, crossed the Alamance at the cotton fac- 
tory of Holt & Carrigan, two miles distant. Around this 
mill quite a village of neat log houses, occupied by the op- 
eratives, were collected, and everything had the appearance 
of thrift. I went in, and was pleased to see the hands of 
intelligent white females employed in a useful occupation. 
Seldom can it be said of one of our fair sisters South: 'She 
layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the 
distaff.' 1,350 spindles and 12 looms were in operation.' 

'' Edwin M. Holt was a strong partisan and a Whig, but 
he would never accept office, although often solicited to 
do so. 

"In 1845 there was a small cotton factory built at Haw 
River, N. C, having only 528 spindles, and in 1858 the 
company failed. My father and myself purchased the prop- 
erty at an execution sale made by the sheriff of the county. 
In 1 861 I bought his interest in this property and moved 
to Haw River to live. 

" From time to time, and as fast as I made mone\', I in- 
vested it in machinery. At the present time there are 15,- 
666 spindles and 638 looms in full operation. We are now 
building a new mill. When it is completed we will have 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 95 

in operation at Haw River 22,834 spindles and 940 looms. 
All of these looms will be running on colored goods of va- 
rious kinds. 

"The whole of it had its origin in the small start made 
with the copper kettle and the wash pot. I attribute the 
success crowning my efforts in a great degree to the busi- 
ness methods imparted to me by my father." — Thos. M. 
Holt. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



ALAMANCE COUNTY. 

Alamance was separated from Orange in 1848 by popu- 
lar vote. Mr. Eli Eulis was the surveyor. Mr. Joe Holt 
was first Sheriff, Mf. John Faucett was County Court Clerk, 
Mr. Baker Greyson was Superior Court Clerk. The first 
court was held in Providence Church. The Ratoon was 
the first paper published in the county. Capt. E. S. Parker 
originated the Alamance Gleaner. 

Be it said for Alamance, here was begun the Revolution 
and the beginning of the end at Alamance Battle Ground 
and at Pyle's Hacking Match. Alamance leads the State 
in cotton manufacturing. 

Note : I leave out many important things about Ala- 
mance, I cut out much because space forbids it. The 
history of the Civil War I leave untouched. Alamance was 
never slack in sending troops. Her soldiers still may tell 
their story by the evening fire : of the call to arms, of the 
Convention in Alamance of which Mr. E. M. Holt was 
chairman, and how its delegate was instructed to vote 
against secession. The Kuklux Klan propose to keep their 
secrets still. So let them. 

The period of the reconstruction is not yet ripe for his- 
tory. It must lie fallow. This is America's great epic 
period. Out of the South must grow the literature of the 
future. Conditions are here for it. We have suffered, we 
are alive to tell the story. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



A HERO OF ALAMANCE. 

Lucian Murry was a young man at the outbreak of the 
civil war. In 1862 he enlisted in the first North Carolina 
troops, Company H. Capt. Miller, in Ripley's old brigade. 

Brigadier General Ripley being disabled at Charlottes- 
burg, Gen. Geo. A. Steward took command. He was dis- 
abled at Gettysburg, then succeeded General Ramseur, who 
was killed. At the surrender at Appomattox Mr. Murray's 
division was under a colonel, acting brigadier general. 

At the surrender Mr. Murray shook hands with Colonel 
H. A. Brown, saying: "I shall not surrender. I'm going 
home. I have been captured twice and got loose and I 
won't surrender !" "General Lee, standing near by said: 
" Young man you'll be taken and sent back." He replied 
he would risk it ; so walked home. 

During the war no man was in more battles or did better, 
braver service than Mr. Murray. No man in the south has 
had more thrilling experience. 

When on a sbarpshooting expedition near Littletown, Va., 
he was captured with a hundred. As the Yankees were 
leading their hundred prisoners away Mr. Murray suddenly 
stepped out of ranks behind a white oak. Here he waited, 
watching to pick his chance to run. But they saw him 
when he raised his elbows to throw off his knapsack; and 
ordered him to surrender ; but dropping every impediment, 
he ran. " I always believed I flew," said Mr. Murray. 
"My toes just lightly hit the ground. The bullets whizzed 
about me. Every one that burnt me I ran a little faster. I 
ran to the Rapidan River, leaving Strawsburg to the right. 
I was making for the mountain on the other side. It was 
dark now. Plunging into the river which was up a foot or 



98 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

two/I waded across. Grasping a bush on the opposite bank 
to pull up by, I pulled it up by the roots, causing me to 
fall backwards into the water. As I fell I heard a Yankee 
speak. He said to his companion : ' Do you hear that d — d 
muskrat ?' ' Yes.' Then I fluttered the water just like one." 

" Changing my mind about landing, I waded down the 
river two miles, crossed and went up the mountain to its 
very top. Looking towards the south I saw the white tents 
of an army. Watching closely I knew them to be the 
enemy. 

" But I must rest now. In looking out for a place to lie 
down I ran upon three men asleep. They awoke and 
throwing up their hands surrendered. ' What command 
do you belong to?' said I. 'To Ripley's brigade,' they 
replied. ' Why, hello, boys,' — how glad I was to see them. 

" I tramped about the mountain for six days before I got 
back to my place. I lived well — begged my living — and 
was treated well. I was put on the dead list, reported as 
killed at Middletown. We joined our command at Gor- 
donsville." 

Mr. Murray was captured again at Fisher's Hill. There 
a band of sharpshooters were cut off. Three with him were 
taken as prisoners. But their Yankee guard lost his way. 
Mr. Murray led him into Confederate troops where he in 
turn was captured. 

Mr. Murray was in the following bat'les : Seven Pines 
fight at Richmond ; in second battle of Manassas ; South 
Mountain in Maryland; Charlottesburg, Md.; a number of 
battles in the Valley of Virginia ; Chancellorsville ; Spot- 
sylvania Court House ; in the two battles in the Wilder- 
ness ; Gettysburg ; Fredericksburg ; Mine Run (or Payne's 
Farm) ; Appomattox, where he did not surrender. 

He was wounded at Chancellorsville once, Spotsylvania 
Court House twice, at Mine Run once, at Sharpsburg once, 
at Fredericksburg twice. Once in Richmond a pickpocket 
stole his purse. In their fight for it the villian ripped open, 



THE HISTORY OF AI^AMANCE. 99 

from hip to hip, the abdomen of his antagonist. Holding 
his vitals in his left arm, with his right hand Murray shot 
him dead. 

But his greatest troubles were yet to come. His hardest 
lime was in Kirk's war. " I was arrested the fourth man in 
the company. James Boyd first, then Lug and Sid Scott, 
then myself. I belonged to the White Biotherhood. I 
never had a disguise, and did not raid." When arrested he 
was carried to Company Shops (Burlington) with the rest 
and imprisoned under a strong guard — in a tent with four 
others, John G. Albright, Jim Foust, George Rogers, Wil- 
liam Patton, James Boyd was patrolled at Graham. The 
Scotts were in other tents. 

That night the game began of forcing Lucian Murray 
to confess. About ii o'clock Col. Burgen took out Wil- 
liam Patton first ; in about an hour George Rogers ; at one 
they called for Murray, demanding confession in regard to 
Ku Klux, and asking him to break his oath and his most 
sacred honor. 

" Leaving J. G Albright and Jas. Foust in the tent, not 
taking them at all, six or seven men took me to Col. Bur- 
gen's tent, where he demanded a confession. I refused. 

They said they had hung two rascals for not making 

a confession and if I didn't they'd hang me. I refused 
again. They put a rope around my neck, took me to the 
woods east of the railroad — J. R. Ireland's place now — say- 
ing : ' We have just hung Patton and Rogers and we intend 
to hang you if you don't confess.' 

" They tied my hands behind me, threw the rope over a 
limb and stretched me up, letting me down in a minute, 
after choking me well. They again demanded confession. 
I refused. The second time they did the same. I refused 
again. The third time I was hung till unconscious. When 
I came to, I was lying on the ground, my clothes torn oflF 
and my enemies rubbing me. When I came to, so that I 
could stand, l^hey put the rope around my neck the fourth 



lOO THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

time, demanding a confession. Said Col. Burgen : ' If you 
don't confess I'll hang you till 9 o'clock to-morrow, then 
bury you under the tree upon which you hung. Have you 
any word to leave your friends?'' Said Mr. Murray: "I 
have no confession to make, no word to leave my friends : 
but if you hang me you will pay the same penalty before 
twenty-four hours yourself." Colonel Burgen studied a 
little while, then said : " Well, you are a young man, and 
I don't want to hang you. I want to give you another 
chance — till 8 o'clock tomorrow night.' I was carried to 
the tent where Albright and Foust were. They were not 
taken out. Rogers and Patton, we thought, were killed, 
but they were only tied out. At sun-up they were 
brought in." 

At 9 o'clock the next night Colonel Burgen and his men 
tried again to make Mr. Murray confess, with pistols drawn 
in his face. " I would not yield. I never once thought of 
doing it. I did not care to confess. They never asked me 
again. 

"I was kept (at Burlington) there six days, then earned 
to Raleigh and put under Colonel Clark's guard ; nobody 
taken from Alamance but little Dr. Wilson, William Patton 
and me. 

" I stayed at Raleigh several days. Colonel Clark de- 
manded a confession. I said no. Then I was carried to 
W. W. Holden's private office. He demanded a confession. 
I refused. He offered me a thousand dollars for all I knew 
about the Ku Klux. I told Holden I was not for sale. 

" Governor Holden told Colonel Clark to send me home 
till further orders. There I remained until United States 
Judge Brooks issued a writ of habeas corpus ordering us — 
75 or 100 — Ku Klux before him for trial. State courts 
could not try us. We were tried in Salisbury and released. 

" That fall Holden was impeached. I was summoned to 
Raleigh at the commencement of that trial. We had to 
bear our own expenses. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. lOI 

"As soon as that trial was over I was summoned to Wash- 
ington City before the Outrage Committee, with Messrs. 
Edwin M. Holt, Daniel Worth, David Kerr, and George 
Rogers; the Republicans were Messrs. W. R. Albright, 
Col. W. A. Albright, Jimmy Fonville, Sauren Bradshaw. 
Among the negroes were Cas. Holt and Alex Ruffin. 

"The Outrage Committee decided in favor of the Demo- 
crats, that there was no racial trouble existing between the 
whites and negroes South." 

Mr. Murray resides in East Burlington — a gentleman, 
unassuming, sympathetic. He overseers a squad of hands 
in working the public roads — hard work. At the close of 
the war he had fifteen hundred dollars in gold. He might 
have been rich had he invested that in cotton or some like 
commodity, when using it to pay his expenses of living, 
while being forced around to make confession at the knees 
of the Priests of Tyranny. 

Mr. Murray has never been given a public ofhce, except 
road overseer in August sunshine, at a paltry pittance. 
But he is a kindly, happy man, courageous still and true 
as steel. 

Last winter he went North to have an operation per- 
formed. A great lump as large as a quart measure had 
grown on his neck — the result of his hanging at the hands 
of Kirk's men. At the hospital he wa'^ told that he had 
one chance to live and nine to die. He had suffered in- 
tensely ; could not eat or sleep. He chose to risk it. His 
iugu''ar vein was cut in two. He is too biave to die. Truly, 
he ought to live forever — a man of his word and one who 
is not at all afraid. 




COL. JOHN STOCKARD. 



PART II. 

FAMILY HISTORY. 



CHAPTER I. 



ALBRIGHT FAMILY HISTORY, 

The House of Hapsbiirge and Lorain derive their origin 
from — 

Ethico L, Duke of Alsatico, by Childeric, whose blood 
flows through the veins of — 

Adelbert, Ethico 11. 

Hugh, Count of Alsatico. 

Goutran, Count of Hapsburg, died 945. 

Landeriman, died 971. 

Bathoton, died 1027. 

Weheras, died 1096. 

Otho n. King IV. 

Albert HI (The Merciful), 1273, married Ida. 

Rodolph I., Count of Hapsburg, married Agnes Staff. 

Albrert, called Albrecht ("The Wise"), died 1240. 

Rodolph II., "The Crimes," killed 1273. ^^ married 
first Agnes of Hohenburg, then Agnes of Burgundy. Their 
eight children were : Hedgwigh, or Otho IV; Judith, Mer- 
catas King of Bohemia ; Albert, called Albrech I, killed 
1308; his wife was Elizabeth of Casenthing ; Agnes mar- 
ried Albert, Duke of Saxony ; Rodolph married Agnes of 
Bohemia, Matilda died 1323; Clenarton — Charles Martel. 

When southern Germany, Switzerland and France were 
laid waste by the thirty years' war, many families left to 
search for homes elsewhere. Some settled by the way, but 
eventually came to America. About Lake Lamond was 
their old home. 

Among many other emigrants they came and were first 
colonized in Virginia, in 1620. In 1740 there were Al- 
brights in Albany, New York. In Buffalo, New York, 
there is an Albright homestead over a hundred years in 
the family. These Albrights came from Canada to this 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. IO5 

place. In New Berlin, Pa., there is a religions denomina- 
tion fonuded by Jacob Albright — the Evangelical Associa- 
tion, from which the United Evangelical Chnrch sprang. 
It is somewhat like the Methodist Episcopal. Their semi- 
nary, "Central College," of New Berlin, Pa., was in opera- 
tion as early as 1855 ; it is co-educational. 

The Albrights, usually, are perfect brunettes, with curly 
hair and brilliant eyes. They are fond of music, love 
money, and usually have it to spend. They love to rule, 
and make good leaders: A large per cent, of the people of 
Alamance have Albright blood in them. 

The ancestor to whom we trace was Hendrich Albrech, 
born 1 716, married Anna Folsom. They had five children: 

I. John, went to Pennsylvania; the only one to stay there. 

II. Jacob, lived in New York. 

III. Frederick, New York and Pennsylvania. 

IV. Phillip, New York and Pennsylvania. 

V. Henry, New York and Pennsylvjnia. 

I will consider only the descendants of John and Jacob, 
and for convenience will take Jacob first. 

Jacob Albright's children were four — Jacob, John, Frank 
and Amos. They all lived in New York at first. 

1. Jacob went to Plymouth county, Pa. Jlis children 
were Samuel Albright, Elizabeth Albright, Sara Albright, 
Martha Albright, Margaret Albright and El la Albright 
(married Samuel Rowand). 

2. John Al'^right went to Canada 1800. 

3. Frank went to Canada ; was at Warnock 1802. 

4. Amos went to Ontario. His children were Jacob Al- 
bright, John Albright, Susanna Albright, Peggy Albright, 
Molly Albright, Lena Albright, Kate Albright and Nancy 
Albright. 

Now Jacob's brother John had sons — 

1. Ludwig, born 1731, Nov. 11. (See his family.) 

2. Henry. 

3. Jacob, born 1748. 



I06 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

4. Was Capt. William Albright their brother? (See 
Stoner's and St. Paul's church records.) 

Jacob Albright (born 1748) married Sophia Katharine 
Welder (born 1749). They came from Pennsylvania to 
Orange county, N. C, before the Revolutionary War. 
They had eight children — 

1, Sophia A. married Ludwig Clapp; had one son, John. 

2, Jacob married Sallie Wolf and settled where George M. 

Albright now lives on Rock Creek. They had chil- 
dren — 

a. William, married Miss Polly Wood, at whose death 

he married Nellie Stockard. They lived east of 
Bethel Church. . 

b. John, married Miss Reitzell, moved to Texas and was 

scalped by the Indians. 

c. Solomon, married Sallie Fogleman, settled at Sandy 

Run. 

d. Betsy, married John Fogleman, settling on their land 

lying west and against F'riendbhip church and Acad- 
emy lots. 

e. Nancy, married David Coble, settling on the land now 

owned by Henry Holt's heirs, but moving to west 
bank of Haw River, where Nathaniel Roberson now 
lives. 
J. Polly, married Peter ShofFner, settled at Edwin Holt 
place, on Stinking Quarter. 

g. Katie, married Capt. John Albright, settled on Stink- 
ing Quarter, south of Walter Holt's barn ; later 
moved to Mississippi. 

//. Sophia, married Henry Loy. 

3, John married Lizzie Graves, settled at J. R. Garrett 

place. Their children — 

a. Elizabeth married " Brickhouse " George Clapp ; set- 

tled near Brick Church. 

b. Barbara married John Foust ; settled near Law's 

Church. Her second husband was Henry Garrett. 
They lived on her father's land. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. IO7 

c. Penna married first Wm. Clapp, a prominent man ; 
her husband died, leaving her with one child, Abram. 
Then she married Henry Swing. 
4:, Joseph A. married Barbara Basin, settled where Capt J. 
A. Albright now lives. They had three children. 

a. Sallie married Jas. Nicholson and moved to Georgia. 

b. John married Betsy Albright settled first on south side 

of Great Alamance, then near Spring Meeting House, 
at length went to Indiana. 

c. Andrew married Sallie Shoffner, at her death he mar- 

ried Winnie Isley. 
5, Daniel A. married Katy Loy. They had nine children. 
a. Jacob Albright married Sallie Albright. 
h. George married Patsy Albright. 

c. William. 

d. Sophia A. married Daniel Albright. 

e. Daniel married Millie Holt. 
f. Henry married Lettie Foust. 

g. Lewis married Elizabeth Albright. 
h. Elias married Tempe Hobbs, 
/. Joel. 
(3. Henry married Mary Gibbs. They had six children. 

a. Jacob married Sallie Nease. 

b. Nicholas married Annie Rogers. 
G. Katie married John Stockard. 

d. Lizzie married Wm. Sharp. 

e. Joseph married Nancy Whitsett. 
f. Polly married George Clendenen. 

7. George Albright married Katie Holt. They had ten 
children. 

a. William married Louisa Wood. 

b. Polly married Seymour Paryear. 

c. Hannah married Anderson Thompson. 

d. Alex married Rachael Thompson. 

e. Lettie married John Patterson. 
f. Nellie married Billy Eulis. 



I08 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCK. 

g. Tamar married Eaoch Crutchfield. 
h. Alvis married Polly Sto:kard. 
i. Michael married Cornelia Clendenen. 
J. Sallie married James Albright. 
8. Katy married John Sharp. 
a. Mary married Jacob Friddle. 
h. Katy married Johi Cole. 

c. Penna married Mr. Mangum. 

d. Barbara married Duncan Cameron. 

e. Sallie. 

William and his wife Loui«5a Wood Albright — 

a. Elizabeth married Lewis Albright — four children. 

h. Julia mirried David Carter — nine children. 

c. Margaret married Calvin Johnson. 

d. Tamar married Larkin Vestal — two children. 

c. Durant Hatch married Sylvina Siler — Walter Hatch, 
Henry Lee, Loretta, Decette, Frank, William, Adol- 
phus, Bertha, Maud Dnrant. 
"^ /. Wm. Gaston married Ann Trolinger. 

g. Elenor married Thomas C. Dixon. 

//. Mary married Wm. Johnson — one son Robert. A. J. 
Jones — two children. 

t. Martha married John Wood — three children. 

/. Emily Ann married W. J. Stockard — seven children. 

k. Captain Henry of 6i. 

LUDWICK mariied Anna Maria Keller. Their children 
were eight — John, Anna Barbara, Phillip, Jacob, John Lud- 
wig, Catharine, George, Daniel. 

Anna Barbara married Eiias Powell, whose children were 
George, Elias. Ben, Phillip. 

George Powell's children are Nelson Albright Powell 
(married May Ptikins Sumpter), Joseph T. Powell, John 
Powell, Dr. Abney Powell, James E. Powell, Geo. Sumpter 
Powell (married Alice Blackwelder, Asheville, N. C.) 

Anna Barbara's brother Daniel's children were Sarah, 
(married Dr. Wm. Montgomery), whose son is Dr. D. A. 
Montgomery. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. IO9 

HENRY was the sixth child of Jacob Albright, (see above). 
His children and grandchildren are in order thus: 

I. Jacob married Sallie Nease, moved to Bedford county, 
Tenn. 

a. Jerome. 

b. Candice. 

II. Nicholas married Annie Rogers. 

a. Jas. married Sallie Albright — William Albright; 

b. John Gibbs married Nancy Jane Scott, daughter of 

Hon. John Scott. Their oldest child was Mrs. Mar- 
garet Albright Stockaid. 

c. William married (1) Barbara Basin, (2) Sallie Free- 

lard. 

d. Henry married (i) Hanna Kirkpatrick, (2) Mrs. Katy 

LODg. 

HI. Katy married John Stockard, his second wife. 

a. Jane married Jacob Long. Their children — D. A. 

Long, W. S. Long, B. F. Long, J. A. Long, Geo. 

Long, Bettie Clendenen. 
h. Gibbs married Polly Johnson. Their children — John, 

Henry, Jane, Samuel, Robert, Julia Ann, James, 

Jackson, Jerome. 

c. Polly married Coble. 

d. Peggy married Bradshaw. Their children — George, 

Samuel and Michael. 

e. Nancy married Clapp. 

J. William married Cornelia Whitsett, moved to Missouri. 

g. Lettie Ann married J. R. Garrett. 

h. John Richard married (i) Cornelia Kirkpatrick, (2) 

Sallie Dixon. 
IV. Lizzie Albright married Wm. Sharp. 

a. Henry married (i) Miss Finely, (2) Miss Glass. 

b. Jerry married Jane Albright. 

c. Eli married Miss Tate. 

d. William married Miss Isley. 

e. John married (i) Steele, (2) Isley. 



no THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

f. Mary married Philip Isley. 

g. Elizabeth married Jerry Sharp. 

V. Joseph married Nancy Whitsett. 

a. Jane married Anthoay Rich. 

b. Elizabeth. 

c. Mary married Craven. 

d. William. 

e. Gibbs. 

f. Katharine. 

g. Kizzie. 
h. Youthy. 
i. Emsley. 

VI. Polly married George Clendenen. 

a. Mellisia married (i) John Staley — W. W. Staley. 
(2) Archibald Cook — John, Duncan, Bob. 

h. George married Mary Roberson. 

c. J. N. H. married Bettie Long. 

HON. WILLIAM ALBRIGHT was born October i, 1791, and 
raised near Mt. Hermon Church. He died October 5, 1856. 
In his youth he lived sorce time in eastern Carolina. When 
he returned he married Louisa Wood. His occupation was 
farming and merchandising. He had a wide acquaintance 
with leading men of his time and country. Rencher, at 
one time Provisional Governor of Mexico and later a con- 
gressman, was among his friends. He was good to the 
poor, left thousands of dollars uncollected. He was of a 
compromising nature, was loved by everybody and was 
voted for by others besides his own party men, the Whigs. 

Hon. William was a Whig indeed, for " Whig " means 
progress. He organized the first Temperance Society in 
North Carolina. It still lives — the " Pleasant Hill Tem- 
perance Society," the very oldest in the State. His tem- 
prance views was due to an old man named White from 
Haw Fields. He was very likely the first candidate for 
public office in North Carolina who did not treat and who 
would not use whiskey out on the campaign. The first 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. Ill 

railroad meeting in North Carolina was held at the home 
of William Albright. There Archibald Murphy, Dr. Joseph 
Caldwell and others of our "simple great ones gone forever 
and ever by " met and discussed plans of building a railroad 
from Morehead through the centre of the State to the moun- 
tains, said Hon. Giles Mebane, "it would have reached 
Asheville in the end." 

William Albright strongly opposed the repealing of the 
Missouri Compromise. He wrote his sentiments to Judge 
Carr. " There never would have been any war about sla- 
very," said his son, Dr. Albrig-ht, " if it had not been for 
officious meddling." 

Capt. Henry Clay Albright, son of William, was born July 
13, 1842. His father was the popular Whig Representative 
and Senator from Chatham County before the war of '61, as 
also was his brother Wm. Gaston Albright. 

No brighter nor purer youth was ever raised in North 
Carolina than Capt. Henry Albright. When the war of 
'61 came on he was among the first to volunteer in one of 
the first companies gotten up in North Carolina, " The 
Chatham Boys,'' He helped to raise this company and left 
home as second Lieutenant, in Vance's Regiment. Soon 
after he became Captain. He won the high regard of 
Vance, and was to have been his private secretary. When 
Vance's forces were at New Bern he was sent home to 
gather recruits. He wrote to Vance saying he could get 
no troops around Cane Creek for they were a nest of Tories, 
all on the other side. The Yankees captured the Confed- 
erate train, intercepted his letter, and published it in all the 
northern newspapers. 

Capt. Henry Albright loved Vance and told a pleasing 
incident of that great man's sympathy for his private sol- 
diers. After the New Bern fight he came across one of Cap- 
tain Henry's men. Jack Waters, wounded. Taking him up 
behind him on his horse he carried him to a safe place and 
left him. Waters was never heard of since. 



112 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

Capt. Albright was in many battles. He went into the 
battle of Gettysbui g with one hundred men and came out 
with only six. He was wounded at the Squirrel Level 
skirmish near the Johnson house not far from Petersburg, 
and died in twenty-seven days. His wound was in his head, 
his hat bears the bullet-marks and blood. He died 1864. 
Dr. Albright has his hat and uniform, also a sword he cap- 
tured from a Union officer of rank. In the pocket of his 
coat is to be found a copy of the Fayetteville Observer con- 
taining Vance's proclamation calling in deserters. 

*LUI)WIC'K Albright, was born November nth, 1731. 
Anna Martha Keller, was born November nth, 1733. 
They were married August i8th, 1751. 
Their first born, John Albright, was born October 21st, 

1752. 

-■ Anna Barbara Albright, was born June iSth, 1754. 
_ Phillip Albright, was born February i3«"h, 1756. 

Jacob Albright, was born November 8th 1758. 

John Ludwick Albright, was born February 19th, 1761. 

- 'Catharine Albright, was born August 15th, 1763. 

- George Albright, was born January i8th, 1766. 
Daniel Albright, was born January 30th, 1771. 

.r- ''Elizabeth Clapp, was born January 21st, 1774. 

Daniel Albright married Elizabeth Clapp, October 9th, 
1792. 

Sarah Albright, was born December the ist, 1797, and 
Married Dr. William Montgomery, i\pril the 2Rth, 1814. 

John Albright, died September the 25th, 1826. 

Barbara Albright, married Elias Powell of Burke County, 
Asheville or Culpepper County. 

Philip Albright, died November the 22nd, 1820. 

Jacob Albright, died September the 4th, 1839. 

Ludwick Albright, died April the 29th, 1816. 

*Taken from the old German Bible now at Dr. Montgomery's, 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANXE. II5 

Catharine Albright, died March the 15th, 1839. 
George Albright, died August the 27th, 1835. 
Daniel Albright, died — 

NoTe: The above is a fac simile of statement taken from the old 
German Bible now in hands of Dr. D. A. Montgomery. Dr. D. H. Al- 
bright owns its companion, that is, Jacob Albright's Bible brought from 
Germany both of them, and verj* well preserved. 



CHAPTER III. 



Ludwig Albright was born 1731, November 11, and died 
November 16, 1810, being seventy-nine years old. 

Anna Maria Keller was born November 11, 1733 and 
died June 10, 1803, being seventy years old. They were 
married August 18, 1751, raised eight children. 

I. John Albright their first child was born October 21, 
1752, and died September 25, 1826, being 73 years old. 

II. Anna Barbara Albright was born June 18, 1754 ^^^ 
died 

III. Phillip Albright was born February 13, 1756, and 
died 1825. 

IV. Jacob Albright was born November 8, 1758, and 
died September 1S39. 

V. John Ludwig Albright was born February 17, 1761, 
and died April 1816. 

VI. Catharine Albright was born August 16, 1763, and 
died March 1839. 

VII. George Albright was born January 18, 1760, and 
died August 1835. 

Ludwig Albright lived and died near Alamance factory, 
John his son lived near by. 

Jacob went to Tennessee (or Georgia ?) 

Anna Barbara married Elias Powell and went to Burke 
County, North Carolina. 

George was a gunsmith and lived at the Van Mont- 
gomery place. 
^^^JQ Daniel Albright and his wife Elizabeth Clapp Albright, 
had a daughter — Sara, who married Dr. William Mont- 
gomery. Dr. William Montgomery was born 1788; Sara 
\ J Albright, his wife, was born 1797. The dates of the birth 
of the children are: Nancy Elizabeth, 1815 ; Sara Louisa, 
1816; Daniel Archibald, 18 19; Delilah Albright, 1820; 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. II5 

James Rudy 1823; Mary Ann, 1826; Martha Harriet, 
1828; Cornelia Riley, 1833; Barbara Maria, 1836; Wil- 
liam Van, 1840. 

Lugwig Albright had a son Jacob born 1758, and went 
to Tennessee. Did he go to Georgia in 1812 ? One Jacob 
Albright from Orange County, North Carolina, went there 
in 181 2 I have no account of what became of Lud wig's 
sons, Jacob and John Ludwig Albright. A Jacob Albright 
married Mary Dixon. Their children were: Oswald, 
Orange, Welder, Matilda, Meranda, Caroline (who married 
J. R. Lewell), Jacob A. and Jonathan. 

Oswald has a son, W. H. Albright of Luthersville, Geor- 
gia, his son is Jacob Amos Albright. 

The Jacob Albright who went to Georgia from Orange 
County North Carolina, in 1812, had several children when 
he moved, among whom was a Jacob. 



CHAPTER IV. 



MONTGOMERY FAMILY. 

Scotch-Irish ; emigrated fiom Mongomo, in Scotland ; 
came to Pennsylvania about 1680. Wm. Montgomery 
came from Pennsylvania to Guilford county, N. C, locat- 
ing near North Buffalo, three miles from Bethel church, 
before the Revolution. His wife rode here on horseback 
from Reading, Pa.- They had but one son, whose name 
was William. They are buried at Bethel church, in Guil- 
ford. 

William was married twice. His first wife was a Miss 
Gray. They had four children — William, Hugh, Patter- 
son and Hannah. 

William married Sara Albright, only daughter of " Post- 
master Daniel" Albright. He was born 1789, died 1843, 
buried at Brick church. He was a physician, lived at Lib- 
erty, laid off and named the town of Liberty, in Randolph 
county, N. C. 

He moved to Burlington, a waste county. Only a path 
led by it then, running from the east to Greensboro, or 
Guilford Court House. William Montgomery was a Dem- 
ocrat, elected as Senator for ten terms in annual succeeding 
sessions. He was only once beaten in the election — by 
James Mebane, a Whig, the father of Giles Mebane. Hon. 
William's first opponent was Hon. Michael Holt. He was 
a member of the United States Congress eight terms. His 
district was composed of Wake, Person and Orange. He 
was first elected over Daniel M. Barringer of Wake ; next 
over Washington Haywood of Wake, an able lawyer and 
brilliant orator ; then over William A. Graham. 

Congressman Montgomery went to Washington on horse- 
back, fording the river at Harper's ferry. He was in Con- 
gress at the time of the establishment of the sub-treasury 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. II7 

department and favored President Jackson's movement in 
regard to it. 

Mr. Montgomery and his wife, Sara Albright, had ten 
children, three ?ons and seven daughters — only two living, 
Dr. Wm Van and Dr. Daniel A. 

I. Nancy Elizabeth married Gen. Benj. Trollinger ; three 

children — 

1. Sallie married Mr. Stal lings. 

2. John died single. 

3. Fanny married Matt. Elder. 

II. Sara married Mr. Bolden ; no children. 

III. Daniel A. married Josephine Berry, daughter of Capt. 
Berry of Orange, a Senator when Alamance was divided 
and the N. C. Railroad run. They had seven children — 

1. John Berry Montgomery married Laura Hardin. 

2. Ida Estelle married Ludwig Somers of Burlington. 

3. William I. married Esper Sellars ; live in Greensboro, 

N. C. 

4. Rosa Bessie married Henry Lafayette Holt of Bur- 

lington. 

5. Walter Lee, of Chicago, was a soldier at the fall of 

Santiago, Cuba. 

6. James Patterson married Elizabeth Turrentine, daugh- 

ter of Capt. Jas. A. Turrentine ; live in Burlington. 

7. Thomas C. married Julia Elizabeth Howland ; live at 

Graham. 

IV. Delilah married Benj. Roney ; three children — 

1. Fanny married John Willis. 

2. Mollie married Sidney Holt. 

3. Daniel was killed in war of '61. 

V. James Rudy Montgomery married Cornelia Trollinger 

They had four children — 

1. Elizabeth married Elbridge Freeland. 

2. Sallie died single. 

3. Daniel married Miss Trollinger. 

4. James not mairied. 



Il8 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

VI. Mary Ann. 

VII. Martha Harriet. 

VIII. Cornelia married Wesley Holt, one son, James Holt 
of St. Louis. 

IX. Barbara Maria died single. 

X. William Van married Anna Jordan, of Philadelphia. 
To go back, Dr. Congressman William Montgomery had 

two brothers one sister — Hugh, Patterson and Hannah. 

II. Hugh, brother of Hon. William, volunteered and went 
to the war of 1812. Returning from the war he 
changed his name, calling himself Hugh Kyle. He 
was for ten j-ears post-master in Asheville, Burke county. 
Then moved to Rome, Ga. He was a harness maker. 

III. Patterson — James Patterson Montgomery — was a fine 
cabinet maker — made cymbals. He married Sarah 
Brower, of Liberty, a daughter of Hon. John Brower, 
a Congressman. They had two sons and two daught- 
ers. Moving to Fulton county. 111., he died about 
1845. O"^ son was killed in war of '61; one daughter 
married Rev. Sidney Y. McMasters, of Randolph 
county, N. C, first a Methodist Protestant minister 
then became an Episcopalian. He was a professor of 
language in a college of Iowa. One daughter married 
the sheriff of Fulton County, 111. One son died single. 

IV. Hannah married Joseph Bennefield, oi Guilford county, 
N. C, moved to Georgia in 181 2, thence to Maryland, 
and died eighty-six years old 

Dr. Daniel A. Montgomery is one of the oldest residents of 
Burlington. His great grandfather, his grandfather, brothers, 
sisters and children have already been mentioned. He was for 
many years a physician with a very large practice. He repre- 
sented his people many times in the General Assembly. Dr. 
Montgomery was a Democrat, but he felt no hide-bound 
servitude to parly principles. Though a Democrat he 
favored the Whig idea of progress and assured the people 
he was for internal improvement. In 1848 he was elected 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. II9 

by a two hundred majority — a very unusual surplus in 
Orange county where the elections were close — six or eight 
was considered a good majority. In the Legislature of 1849 
he, of course, true to his promise and to his own instinct 
of right principle, voted for the construction of the North 
Carolina Railroad, He was at one time elected to oppose 
the No-nothings. He was the first to advocate the stock 
law in Alamance, then very unpopular. He also was the 
first to favor working the public roads by taxation. 

Dr. Montgomery is a man opposed to all forms of im- 
perialism. He has opposed the election of municipal office 
holders by the Legislature. He is an old time, high toned 
gentleman ; courtly in his bearing, kindly in his speech, 
rather tall, straight, with gold gray hair and blue eyes. 



CHAPTER y. 



HON. GILES MEBANE. 

Hon. Giles Mebane was born ia Orange county, now 
Alamace, in February 1809. He graduated at the Univer- 
sity of North Carolina in 1832. In 1837 he married Miss 
*Mary C. Yancey, daughter of Hon. Bartlett Yancey, of Cas- 
well County. He moved to Caswell from Alamance in the 
fall of 1865. 

Mr. Mebane was a statesman. His first term in the State 
Legislature was as a member of the House of Representa- 
tives from Orange county in the year 1842. For several 
years he continued to represent that county in the General 
Assembly until 1850. Mr. Mebane said with pride in April 
1899, "I was a Whig. I was for internal improvements; 
and I worked hard in the Legislature for the Noith Caro- 
lina Railroad. I knew what it meant for the country." 
Then there were five members from Orange ; Mr. Mebane 
was the only one voting for the appropriation. He said, 
*' Col Stockard worked for the division of the county, Ala- 
mance, from Orange ; but I worked for the railroad." " I 
took a contract and built six miles of it through Orange," 
that part running by Mebane, North Carolina. He was 
director of this road for eighteen years. 

In 1858 he was a member of the House, and in 1861 he 
was in the Secession Convention. He was speaker of the 
Senate from 1861 to 1865. He was then Representative 
from Alamance and Randolph counties. He was a mem- 
ber of the "Andrew Johnson Convention" in 1865. He 
served many years as Chairman of the County Courts, suc- 
ceeding Judge Rnffin. In 1879 he served on the Commit- 
tee of State De^t, and several other important committees. 
He took a very decided part devising and maturing plans 
to compromise and settle the State debt. His plans were 

*Sister to Mrs. Virginia Swepson. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 121 

wise and received support. He was the oldest member 
of the General Assembly in 1879, and had twenty years 
n ore of life. 

His familiar friends were such men as Judge Murphy, 
Judge Ruffin, Governor Graham, etc. He said of Badger, 
" He was the greatest man I ever saw." He said, " Badger 
considered the battle of Alamance to be the first of the 
Revolution ; that Badger was at a celebration at the Ala- 
mance Battle Ground and spoke to the people in a sort of 
patriotic campuieeting. (Mr. William Harden says he 
remembers the time Badger was there)," 

Mr. Mebane died in the spring of 1899, having lived 
through the nineteenth century. His life had been one of 
service. He retained his cherry disposition and mental 
vitality. He lived when men were great and nobility was 
not starved out of humanity. What a galaxy of great ones 
then ! Alamance bad her share. Murphy, RufiEin, Edwin 
M. Holt, Jonathan Worth, Gen. Trollinger, Col. Stock ard, 
Hon. Wm. Albright, etc. How sweet to be like Mr. Giles 
Mebane, honored and happy and wise when old; for he was 

" A man with heart, head, hand, 
Like those of the simple great ones gone 
Forever and ever b}', 
One still strong man in a blatant land, 
Whatever they call him, what care I, 
Aristocrat, democrat, autocrat — one 
Who can rule and dare not lie." 

Dr. Benjamin T. Mebane was born in Orange county. 
May 28th, 1823. H^ wa'i prepared for college at Caldwell 
Institute, Graham, North Carolina, and graduated at the 
University of North Carolina in 1847, together with Rev. 
Mr. T. E. Skinner, Gen. M. W. Ransom, Gen. J. J. Petti- 
grew and a number of other prominent gentlemen. He 
married September 8th, 1857, Miss Fannie Kerr, daughter 
of Maj. James Kerr of Caswell county. In March 1850, he 
graduated in medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. 
He was a very successful physician. In 1879 Dr. Mebane' 
was a member of the House of Representatives. 



CHAPTER YI. 



HOLT FAMILY. 

A man's work is his best judge. By their fruits ye shall 
know them. Not what he would do, but what he does, is 
what actually exalts him. The strenuous efforts of one 
brave man made Alamance county rank first, in the whole 
South, perhaps, in cotton manufacturing. The sagacity 
and energy of Mr. E. M. Holt had a crystalizing influence 
on the natural resources of Alamance, bringing civilization 
out of chaos. His sons were at work while others were 
galloping up and down the road with a shotgun on their 
shoulders. His life is a simple story of industry, thrift and 
forethought, of brawn and brain combined. Good for him 
who concentrates the forces around him and does it long 
enough. It is not that he erec'.ed piles of brick and mor- 
tar, a monument to his name, but that in imagination and 
close calculation he began cotton manufacturing in Ala- 
mance and in North Caro'ina and set that trembling nurse- 
ling firmly on its feet. If cotton manufacturing had been 
begun in the twenties instead of the forties there would 
have been no civil war. 

Enumerate some of the effects of Edwin M. Holt's ideal. 
That those effects consist of material things is granted. 
But who has contributed anything immaterial, since life 
itself is hardly reality? It is worth much to a community 
to nourish the crafts of masonry and carpentry. 

The Holts have given employment of some sort, directly 
or indirectly, to at least one-fourth of the people in Ala- 
mance. They have helped the people to live comfortably 
housed, clothed and fed. They pay most of the taxes ; chey 
work for their honors. They built the towns of Burlington 
. and Haw River ; without them would either exist as towns? 
I hardly think it. Both towns have sprung up with a 




THOS. M. HOLT. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 1 23 

magic growth like trees by the river. The Granite Manu- 
factory consumes fifty dollar's worth of coal per day besides 
its water power. Gov. Thomas M. Holt was a like Agri- 
cola of whom Tacitus said he strengthened and adorned all 
he touched. Holt's plaids are the pride of the market. 
They have found their way all around the world. When 
the Philippine ladies begin to dress as they ought and the 
Chinese learn to reach forward and not backward, there 
will be a greater demand. It is easy to see what China and 
the Philippines mean to employer and employees of the 
cotton-raising and manufacturing world. 

What the Flemish have been to England, what the Ven- 
etians have been to Southern Europe, that are the Holts 
to Alamance and to North Carolina. The loom has done 
more for our civilization than the negro ever could do. It 
is high art to make raw cotton into an adornment and com- 
fort for humanity. 

Michael Holt was the patriarch of the Holts in Alamance. 
He belonged to the Lutheran Church at St. Paul's, near 
Alamance Creek. It was about 1750 (?) that he came from 
the old country, through Pennsylvania, to Alamance, Holt 
is from the same root as Holstein, and Holland. Mr. Holt 
was a wealthy planter, his land extending from Greensboro 
almost to Hillsboro, with his homestead about in the cen- 
tre, on the Great Alamance. On his plantation was fought 
the Battle of Alamance. 

His friend Mr. Roan of Hillsboro once asked Mr. Holt 
how much he would take for his land. " Gold dollars, 
gold dollars, by ging," was the characteristic reply, "gold 
dollars enough to cover it and them laid down edgewise ! " 
But Michael Holt's love of land and money was not ex- 
ceeded by his generosity. He was an agreeable and popu- 
lar man, loved talking and fond of a joke, Mr. Henderson 
of Rowan was a great friend of his. Once his eighteen- 
miles-away neighbors decided to pay him a joke. They 
called and said his friend Henderson was being persecuted 



124 "^HE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE 

and was suffering want. Mr. Holt replied that no friend 
of his should suffer while he could help him out. So he 
filled his great old saddle pockets with money and set out 
for Rowan on horseback. After riding a mile or more he 
noticed a hole in his saddle-bags, and gold dollars dropped 
all along, as the horse had trotted pretty fast, a golden 
stream behind him. 

Michael Holt's home was a hottl on the Hillsboro and 
Salisbury road. They .say he was a "good feeder." He 
was a large slave-holder and agriculturist. Michael Holt, 
says Lossing's History, was a fine old Deutchman and a 
gentleman commanding great respect. He was buried on 
the Dr. Pleas. Holt place (his own land), near Burlington 
cemeter}-. 

Michael Holt was twice married — first, to Miss O'Neill. 
They had two sons and a daughter, Nellie, who married 
Mr. Shoffner. His second wife was Miss Jane Lockhart. 
Their children — 

1. Isaac married Letta Scoot. (Her father and mother 
are buried on the Ruffin farm, in Alamance. On their 
tomb is this inscription : 

" Here lie John Scott and his wife Letta 
On the land they got from Latta.") 

Mr. Seymour Holt of Graham is their descendant. 

2. Joshua married and moved to Tennessee. 

3. Michael married Miss Rachael Raney. 

4. William married Sallie Steele. 

5. Polly mar.ied Mr. Thompson, lived west of Bellmont. 
V-6. Nancy married Mr. Finley, lived west of Bellmont. 

7 P^gg}' niarried Mr. Turrentine. 
William and Sallie Steele Holt's family — 

a. Samuel. 

b. Joseph married Laura Boone; lived between Graham 

and Alamance factory. 

c. Michael married Ann Webb of Hillsboro. They lived 

where Mr. Thos. Foust does, one mile from Graham. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 1 25 

d. John married Catharine Trollinger; lived in Randolph 

county, on Deep River. 

e. Milton married Martha Mebane and settled in Ar- 

kansas. 

f. Joshua. 

g. Mary married Isaac Foust and settled near Ramseur, 

N. C. 
//, Pleasant married Meta Long; he died in Jacksonville, 

Fla. 
i. Sarah married Peter Harden of Graham. Their chil- 
dren — 

1. Ann Holt Harden, married twice — first, Mr. Ely of 
Virginia ; their son is Peter Harden Ely. Second time she 
married Mr. Crawford. 

2. Sallie married Mr. King of Florida. 

3. Mary married Mr. Jim Turner, Graham. 

4. Cora married Mr. John Kernodle of Graham. 

5. Lura married Mr. John Montgomery of Graham. 

6. Junius Harden married Lula Graham. 

7. Peter Harden, Graham, N. C. 

Michael Holt HE lived at the old homestead. Elections 
and tax gatherings were held at his home. He was a man 
of some education and a writer of note in the Hillsboro 
Record. He married Miss Rachel Raney, sister of Mrs. 
Thomas Sellars. Their father. Rev. Able Raney, was 
buried in his family graveyard near the Graham depot on 
Mr. June Harden's place. 

Their children — 

1. Nancy married Mr. Carrigan. 

2. Jane married Mr. John Holt. 

3. Edwin M. married Miss Emily Fariss.* 

4. William married Miss Gray. 
There were others who died young. 
Mr. E. M. Holt's children— 

I. Governor Thos. M. Holt — Mrs. Cora Laird, Mrs. Daisy 

*Mrs. E- M. Holt is now 92 years old. 



126 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

Ha}wood, Mrs. Ella Wright, *Charley Holt, Thomas 
Holt. 

2. Mr. James Holt, Burlington, N. C. His children — 

Messrs. Will, Walter, Capt. Sam, Rob, £d^ Jim, Ear- 
nest ; seven sons and two daughters, Misses Lou and 
Daisy. 

3. Mr. Alfred Holt. 

4. Mr. William Holt, of Charlotte, N. C. 

5. Mr. L. Banks Holt. His daughters are — Mrs. Dr. Me- 

bane, Greensboro, Mrs. M. Whorton, Mrs. H. W. Scott, 
Mrs. J. K. Mebane, Mrs. Giles Mebane, Misses Louise 
and Mattie. 

6. Mrs. Fannie Williamson married Dr. Willliamson — Mr. 

Ed. Williamson, Mrs. Emma Wenifee, Lawrence, Fin- 
ley, Weaker, Banks. 

7. Mrs. Mary Williamson married Capt. Jim Williamson — 

Ada, William, Jim, Blanch Spencer, of Virginia. 

8. Mrs. Emma White — Harvey, W^ill, Madaline. 

9. Mr. Lawrence S. Holt married Miss Erwin. 
The children of Michael Holt's daughter : 

Jane married Mr. John Holt. Mr. Ed. Holt and Mrs. 
Eliza Ann Newlin. 

Mr. Jerry Holt was Michael Holt's nephew. His wife 
was a Foust, Sallie Foust. His children were : 
I. Jerry married Sallie Foust. Their children — 

a. Barbara married George Albright. 

b. Cornelia married George Rich. 

c. Peter married Martha Wood. 

d. Tempe married Curtis. 

e. Henry married Miss Coble. 

f. Daniel married twice, (i.) Miss Letterlow — Lewis, 

Tom, Mrs. . (2.) Miss Thompson — Alex., 

F^arnest. 

g. George married Miss Kirkpatrick. 
h. Sidney married Miss Raney. 

/. Sallie married Oliver Newlin. 



♦Charley Holt is a man having humanity and love of country at heart. 



The history of alamance. 127 

/. Martha married, (i) Hornaday ; (2) Spoon. 

2. Capt. Wm. Holt went to Missouri.' 

3. John Holt married (i) Michael Holts daughter, Jane, 

(2) a Miss Hanks ; their children — Wesley, Martin, 
Williamson, Dorphin, Mary Jane, Betsey, Jerry, 

4. Tempe married Dr. Wm. Tarpley. 

5. Lewis, killed by lightning. 

6. Polly married Col. Daniel Clapp. 

7. Betsy married twice, (i) Mr. Ray, (2) Mr. Turrentine. 

8. Sal lie married Mr. Whitaker. 



CHAPTER VII. 



FOUST FAMILY. 

There were three P'oiist brothers, Peter, Daniel and 
George, who lived in South Alamance in the early part of 
the nineteenth century. They are of an old family, among 
the first settlers in Alamance. They belonged at Stoner's 
church, hence were German Reform stock. The name 
Foust meant lucky. 

1. Peter married Miss Snotherly ; their children — 

a. John married Homaday, whose children — William, 
John, Betsy. 

h, George married Miss McPherson and went to Ten- 
nessee. 

c. Daniel married Thompson. 

d. William died. 

e. Peter married Sal lie Snotherly — Elbridge, Dock, 

Bettie, Sallie. 

2. Daniel married Snotherly. No children. 

3. George married Barbara Kivett ; their children — 
a. Sallie Foiist married Mr. Jerry Holt. 

h. Henry married Rebecca Mebane. 

c. George married Maria Duffie Holt, whose children 
are : Issac married Mary Holt in 1831 ; children — 
Mrs. Lena Harris, Mrs. Sallie Harris, Chapel Hill, 
N. C. Barbara Holt married James Rogers, of 
Brownsville, Tenn. They drove to Tennessee in a 
carriage in 1830. George married Ellen P'oust, his 
first cousin, (Peter's daughter). Caroline married 
Calvin Graves. Morean married Sallie Golston. 
Mary married Jessie Graves. Thomas married 
Mary Robbins — Prof. Junius Foust of Goldsbcro ; 
Prof. Tom Foust, of New^bern ; Miss Letitia Foust. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. ' I2g 

Letitia married John Whitsett, of Greensboro. 
Maria. 

d. William married Katie Clapp. 

e. Daniel married (i) Clapp, (2) Freeland. 

y. Peter married Polly Rogers ; settled south of Ruffin 

Place in Alamance. 
g. Katie married John Clapp. 
h. Barbara married Mr. Joseph Basin. Their son, Dr. 

Basin, of Alamance. 



CHAPTER YIII. 



CLENDENEN FAMILY. 

The Clendenen family is Scotch. The name was origi- 
nally Glen Donwin. Capt. Clendenen was a Whig of the 
Revolution. Joseph Clendenen had seven sons as follows : 

1. William married Miss Bradshaw. 

2. Alex, married Miss Freshwaters and went to Virginia. 

3. George married Polly Albright. 

4. Chas. married Miss Strayhorn. 

5. Fisher married Miss Cook. 

6. David. 

7. Joseph went to Park county, Ind. 



CHAPTER IX. 



LINDLEY FAMILY. 

Jonathan Lindley lived at what became the Jonathan 
Newlin homestead. He was the owner of a large tract of 
land about Spring Meetinghouse. He came from Penn- 
sylvania, the son of the first Lindley who came to Ala- 
mance. They were among the first to institute Quakerism 
in middle Carolina. Jonathan Lindley was a pioneer in 
many respects. He was a merchant. His store was the 
first, very likely the very first in South Alamance. He 
inaugurated a tanyard which continued in working order 
until recent years. He built the old brick Mansion. His 
children were Jonathan Lindley, twin daughters who went 
to Indiana about 1810. They visited in Alamance 1850. 
A first cousin to these children was Thomas Lindley who 
married Mary Long Lindley, their son was Dr. Lindley of 
Indiana, a prominent physician. 



CHAPTER X. 



WOODY FAMILY. 

The patriarch of the Woody family came to America in 
the Mayflower. His name was John The common people 
of England had no surname then, so the passengers on the 
Mayflower honored him with a name ; because he was an 
expert workman in wood — Woody. 

This gentleman had two sons ; what became of one is 
not known but the other, also called John went to Mary- 
land where he married. Afterwards he moved to North 
Carolina. 

John Woody was one of the first settlers here. He built 
Woody's ferry, at which place on Haw River was the road 
already laid o£E and used, from Hillsboro through the Stink- 
ing Quarter country to Guilford Court house country on to 
Salisbury a notable road, and a historic ferry over which 
there passed Tryon and Cornwallis with their armies and 
many others. 

John Woody raised a large family — seven sons. James, 
John, Robert, Joshua, Samuel, one settled on the west side 
of the ferry and was killed by lightning. John Woody 
died without a will. Under the English Government all 
his property fell to his oldest son James, who divided it 
equally among his younger brothers. 

James Woody married Miss Laughlin. Their children 
were Hugh, Samuel, John and eleven daughters. 

Samuel first married Elenor Hadley, their children were 
James, Nathaniel and Joseph. 

The second wife was Mary Harvey. 

The third Mary Pugh, kin to Herman Husband's wife. 

Hugh married first Miss Hadley. Their son was Thomas 
who died an old man ten or more years ago. 

His second wife was an Atkinson. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 1 33 

The eleven daughters of James Woody were, 

1. Sarah who married John Johnson. They went to 
Indiana. 

2. Mary married John Atkinson, lived at Cane Creek. 
(Their children moved to Indiana.) 

3. Rebecca married Picket, they settled in Indiana. 

4. One married Andrews and lived at the Green Ray 
place. 

5. Ruth married John Newlin, they went to Indiana. 

6. One married Henry Picket. They went to Indiana 
and raised fourteen sons and one daughter. From Indiana 
they went to Iowa. 

7. Susanna married Joseph Hadley and went to Indiana. 

8. One married Macon. 

The others have been forgotten. 

They were Quakers, the sentiment against the abolition- 
ist, it is likely, drove them to Indiana. 



CHAPTER XI. 



STAFFORD FAMILY. 

The original family of Staff or ds came, of course, from 
England, settled in New York and were Episcopalians. 
They were English noblemen. 

George Stafford came from Plymouth to Alamance 
county. North Carolina, in 1802. He had served in the 
Revolution. The Staffords were abolitionists, one of them 
carried on a correspondence with John Brown, a great hero 
of the North. His grandson is Wm. Stafford of Bur- 
lington, North Carolina, whose son is Dr. Gaston Stafford. 



CHAPTER XII. 



COOK FAMILY. 

The Cook family came over in the Mayflower. Francis 
and John Cook, 1620. His son John Cook was in Peters- 
burg Virginia, 1750, but moved to Alamance, settling on 
the Great Alamance, Mr. Edwin Holt's old place. 

Henry Cook settled near the Daniel Holt place, 1 750. 

His son John (or Henry) married Miss McRae of Fayett- 
ville. He was a planter. They had five sons and two- 
daughters. 

Daniel married Miss Blackwood. 

Archibald married Mrs. Staley 

Henry married Mary Bryan — Henry Monroe Cook, of 
Swepsonville. 

Duncan married Emma Stanford. 

John died. 

Nancy married Judge Coble of Winston-Salem. 

Julia married Andy Woods. 

The Cooks were Whigs in time of the Revolution. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



THE PURYEAR FAMILY. 

Seymour Puiyear was born in Mecklenburg county, Va. 

Richard Puryear of Surry, N. C, was his cousin. 

Seymour Puryear owned lots of negroes ; was a profes- 
sional overseer of negroes. He bought the widow Glass' 
land and that of Hunter and Wagstaff, a thousand or more 
acres. He belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church at 
Mt. Harmon, but the church split, becoming Methodist 
Protestant. So he founded the church at Macadonia. 

Mr. Puryear was married four times ; had seven daugh- 
ters and no son, so his name is lost in Alamance. His first 
wife was Fannie Vaughn. Their children were — 

Nancy, married Shoffner. 

Mary, mairied Holt. 

Eliza, married Coble. 

Adline, married White. 

Fanny, married Holt. 

Seymour Puryear's second wife was Polly Albright. Her 
children weie — 

Peggy, who married Wm. Newlin. 

Sarah Ellen, married Oliver Newlin. 

His next wife was Polly Blair-Holt, Isaac Holt's widow. 
At her death he married Ann Royster. 



CHAPTER XIY. 



NEWLIN HISTORY. 

Newlin, Newlan, Newland, Newlande are all one name. 
The family, though widely scattered, is the same. Their 
history has been, comparatively speaking, very well pre- 
served, 

1. Nathaniel married Mary Mendenhall, who was also 
from England. From these — Nathaniel and Mary — have 
descended all the Newlins in America. 

2. John \^as not married. 

3. Elizabeth married Mr. Burton. 

4. Rachael married Mr. Jackson. 

Nathaniel's wife, Mary Mendenhall Newlin, reaped a 
sheaf of wheat the day she was one hundred years old. She 
died about one hundred and two. 

Their children were John and Nathaniel 11. John moved 
to North Carolina and married Miss Pyles. 

Their first son was Nathaniel, his son was Duncan and 
his son, Milton Newlin of Indiana. 

Their second son was James, who married Deborah Eind- 
ley, and one daughter, Mary. 

James and Deborah Eindley Newlin's children were : 
Nathaniel, married Andrew ; Tommy, married a Eove ; 
John and William went to Indiana. 

Jonathan was the second son of James He married Re- 
becca Long. Their children were James, Oliver, William, 
Jonathan, Thomas. 

Mr. Oliver Newlin lives near Swepsonville, N. C. It 
seems to be a characteristic of his family to retain their 
vitality to an advanced age. He is a man of ability, care- 
fulness and patriotism. He went with his father long be- 
fore the war of '61 to carry a car full of negroes to a free 
State — Ohio. He says that in his opinion it was a cuise 



138 THh HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

on civilization to turn those negroes free upon any govern- 
ment. He said that lot could never have been made into 
citizens. He was glad when he g^t them off his hands. 

In 1 1 50 Randolph de la Newlande was Lord of the Ma- 
nor of Newlande Hall, Essex. His discendant was Nich- 
olas Newlin, of Canterbury, England, 1580. Nicholas 
Newlin, Jr., born, 1630; emigrated from Cork, Ireland, to 
Chester county, Pennsylvania, 1683. His children were : 
John, Elizabeth married Mr. Burton, Rachael married Mr. 
Jackson, Nathaniel married Mary Mendenhall, whose child- 
ren were John and Nathaniel. John's son John moved to 
Orange county, N. C; married Miss Pyles, They had 
three children — Nathaniel, James and Mary. Nathaniel's 
son, Duncan and grandson Milton, live in Indiana. James 
married Deborah Lindley, whose children were five. Na- 
thaniel married Andrews, Thomas married Love (his 
grandson, Thos. E., is president of Oregon College) John 
and William went to Indiana, Jonathan Newlin (see pic- 
ture) married Rebecca Long. Their children, James mar- 
ried Eliza Ann Holt. Oliver married (i) Miss Puryear, (2) 
Sallie Holt, William married Miss Puryear, Jonathan mar- 
ried Miss Farlow, (Richmond, Ind ) 

These are quakers of ye olden time found in the Cane 
Creek Monthly Meeting Birth-book : 

John Long, son of James and Ann Long, was born in 
the State of New York, 20th March, 1761. 

Mary, his wife, daughter of John and Ann Clark, was 
born in Chester county, Penn , 30th December, 1753. 

Nancy, their daughter, was born in London county, Va., 
27th March, 1788. 

John, their son, was born in London county, Va., 26th 
February, 1785. 

Rebecca, their daughter, was born in Orange county, N. 
C, 31st March, 1787. 

James, their son, was born in Orange county, N. C, 5th 
April, 1789. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE" 1 39 

Sarah, their daughter, was born in Orange county, N. C, 
25th April, 1790. 

Polly, their daughter, was born in Orange county, N. C, 
1 2th September, 1792. 

Rachael, their daughter, was born in Orange county, N. 
C, 24th February, 1795. 

Mary M. Long, his second wife, and daughter of William 
and Enice Wilson, 13th January, 1777. 

Alphonso, their son, 24th November, 181 8. 

John Pike was born in Pasquotank county, N. C., 1702, 
September, 19th. In 1735 he was in Frederick county, Va., 
in 1749 he was at Cane Creek, Orange county, N. C. 

Robert Morrison, son of James and Mary Morrison, 
was born in Chester county, Penn., ist July 1742. 

a. Hannah, his wife, was born in Orange county, N. C, 

23d January, 1757. 

b. Jane, their daughter, was born in Orange county, N. 

C, 26th August, 1773. 

c. James, their son, was born in Orange county, N. C, 

1 6th July, 1776. 

d. Katharine, their daughter was born in Orange county, 

N. C, 26th December, 1777. 

e. William, their son, was born in Orange county, N. 

C, 15th September, 1779. 
/. Mary, their daughter, was born in Orange county, N. 

C, 24th August, 1782. 
g. Ruth, their daughter, was born in Orange county, N. 

C, 30th October, 1784. 
h. Robert, their son, was born in Orange county, N. 

C, 19th October, 1786. 
He moved to Indiana and the city of Richmond was 
built on his farm. He was a philanthropist. Deborah, 
their daughter, was born 3d April, 1791. She married 
Wm. Johnson. The name of Morrison and Johnson — that 
set of Johnsons — have died out in North Carolina. Their 
only representatives here are the descendants of Samuel and 



140 THE HISTOKY OF ALAMANCE. 

Gibbs Stockard, who married daughters of William and 
Debora Johnson. 

i. Simon, her brother, son of Robert and Mary, born 
13th February, 1793. 

John Morrow, son of William and Rachael Morrow, 
was born in Orange county, N. C , 17th June, 1769. 

Mary, his wife, daughter of James and Hannah Stout, 
was born in Orange county, N. C, 24th October, 1777. 

a. Andrew, their son, was born in Orange county, N. 

C, 28th May, 1798. 

b. Joseph, their son, was born in Orange county, N. 

C, 13th October, 1799. 

c. Hannah, their daughter, was born in Orange county, 

N. C, 6th February, 1801. 

d. Mary, their daughter, was born in Orange county, N. 

C, 27th February, 1803. 

€. Ruth, their daughter, was born in Orange county, N. 
C, 19th June, 1806. 

Mary Hill, daughter of Joseph and Ann Hill, was born 
27th October, 1792. 

Rachael Hill was born i6th September, 1795. 

Wm. Hill was born 9th November, 1797. 

Ann Hill was born 13th November, 1799. 

John Hill was born 20th March, 1802. 

Clark Hill was born 4th February, 1804. 

Samuel Hill was born 2 2d February, 1806. 

Daniel Hill was born 28th July, 1809. 

Thomas Stubbs and Deborah Mattock were married at 
Cane Creek monthly meeting 3d November, 1757. Their 
representatives, I think, are in Richmond, Ind., Miss Mary 
Anna Stubbs. 



CHAPTER XV 



SCOTT FAMILY. 

James Scott married a Mebane, They had one son^ 
Samuel Scott. He had one son, John Scott, who married 
Margaret Anderson. Their children were — 

1. Patsy, m&rried John Dixon. 

2. Mebane Scott, died. 

3. Henderson Scott, married Mrs. Glass, nee Miss Mar- 
garet Kerr. 

4. Calvin Scott, of Charlotte, N. C. 

5. Jane, married Alex Allen — 

1. Fa any, married Cedar Jim Thompson — 

1. Mr. Alex. Thompson, Mt. Airy. 

2. Mrs. Lucian M array. 

3. Mrs. Pauline Holt. 

4. Bd. Thompson. 

2. Mary Jane. 

3. John M. 

4. Alex. 

6. Hannah, married Archibald Murphy, nephew of Judge 
Murphy and his adopted son — 

1. Sam'l, president of bank in San Francisco, Cal. 

2. Mrs. Jennie Denrick. 

3. Stanford. 

7. Fannie, died single. 

8. J. L. Scott, of Graham. 

9. James Sidney, married Bettie Donnall. 

10. Nancy Jane, married John Gibbs Albright. 

11. Cornelia, married James Hunter. 

12. Jennette, married Robert Hunter. 

Jane Scott manied Alex Allen, brother of David Kerr. 
They were old Revolutionary stock, and lived one and a 



142 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

half miles of Haw Fields church. Their home was a lovely 
place. They had plenty of land, plenty of servants, plenty 
to live upon. Best of all, a fine woman was mistress. Their 
two sons moved to Arkansas. John M. Allen went to Hope, 
Hempstead county, Ark. Alex went to Texarkana, but 
lives now at Dillsboro, N. C. 




W. H. TROLINGER, Haw River. N. C. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



TROLINGER FAMILY. 

One of the first settlers in Alamance county, N. C, in 
the year 1745, was Adam Trolinger, who was born near the 
Rhine, in Germany, in 1681. From there he moved to 
Pennsylvania, in 1737, came on South and settled here, on 
the we'-tern bank of Haw River, above where the railroad 
now crosses the river. He entered quite a large body of 
land here, selecting this place on account of the water falls, 
in order to catch fish, there being large quantities of them 
in the river at this time. He selected and allotted an acre 
of land for a burying place for his family, in which he was 
buried in 1776 at 95 years of age. His eldest son, Jacob 
Henry, was also born in Germany, in 17 18, and came to 
this place with his father in 1745. He built the first grist 
mill on Haw River, near where the Granite factory now 
stands. He had two sons, John and Henry. 

During the Revolutionary war Cornwallis passed here 
on his way to the Guilford Battle Ground and camped over 
night, and by taking and destroying the grain in Jacob 
Henry's mill, made the old gentleman very angry, and he 
told Cornwallis what he thought of him, whereupon Corn- 
wallis had him tied to a tree, with a bridle bit in his mouth, 
so that he could neither speak nor extricate himself. They 
left him in this condition. He was found late in the even- 
ing and untied by a Mrs. Rippy, who chanced to come to 
the mill. 

This treatment enraged Jacob Henry so much that he 
sent his oldest son, John, to a cave in Virginia (This cave 
he had found and explored when on his way to this State 
from Pennsylvania, in 1745.) to make powder to be used in 
the Revolutionary war. John entered and settled on 640 



144 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

acres of land in Montgomery (now Pulaski) county, Va., 
including the cave. After sending his eldest son to Vir- 
ginia, Jacob Henry sent his second son, Henry, and a young 
negro man named Thomas Husk, whom he owned, to Gen. 
George Washington, with the written message that " he 
hoped both together would make one good soldier," neither 
one being of age. Both remained in the army until the 
close of the war. After his return to his father's, Henry 
married Mary Thomas, si^^ter to Joseph Thomas, the great 
evangelist, who was called the "White Pilgrim" because 
his apparel was always white. This Joseph Thomas trav- 
eled over this State, North Carolina, and Virginia, preach- 
ing the gospel. He finally married in the valley of Vir- 
ginia and settled in Ohio. He died with smallpox in New 
Jersey in 1835. 

Henry settled on the home plantation, near his father. 
He erected a toll-bridge across the river, just above the 
present railroad crossing, this being the main road between 
Hillsboro and Greensboro. He received a pension from 
the government from 1837 up to his death, on Feb. 29th^ 
1844, aged 83 years. 

Thomas Husk lived with the descendants of his master^ 
and at the age of 90 died and was buried in the family 
cemetery at Haw River. 

John, eldest son of Henry Trolinger, was born in 1 790, 
and grew up to manhood at his father's in the old home. 
He was a great advocate of education all his life. He was 
chairman of the county board of education and manager of 
the free schools until the County of Orange was divided, 
and afterwards held the same position in Alamance county 
until the Civil war. He was chairman, also, a part of the 
time, of the county court of Grange, and afterwards of Ala- 
mance. He advised and aided a number of young men to 
get an education, and was considered one of the best histo- 
rians of his age. On the first of January, 1832, he com- 
menced work on the first cotton factory built in the county, 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCK. 1 45 

situated on Haw River, a short distance above wheje^ony 
creek runs into the river, and turned the riv« into the 
creek, a work that was thought by others could not be 
done. After he built the factory, others joined him and 
formed a joint stock company, naming it "The High Falls 
Manufacturing Co.'' (This place is now owned by Rosen- 
thal & Co., and called "Juanita.") He built about one 
mile of the N. C. R. R., west side of the river, including 
the high embankment at the river. He married Elizabeth 
Rony in 1809 ; to them were born five sons and five daugh- 
ters. In October, 1869, this noble man passed away, and 
was buried by the side of his people in the family cemetery. 
General Benjamin N,, eldest son of John Trolinger, was 
born in 1810. Among the first cotton factories built in the 
county was the older part of the present Granite Mills at 
Haw River, which was built by him, 1844. He was always 
interested in internal improvements, and aided by his part- 
ner and brother-in-law, Dr. D. A Montgomery, got up stock 
for the N. C. R. R., which was commenced in 1851. They 
were large contractors in Alamance, Orange, Wake and 
Johnston counties, and had brick made and bridges built 
over Haw River, Black creek, and over both crossings of 
the Eno at Hillsboro. They also ran a steam saw-mill at 
Asbury and Cary, Wake county, for the purpose of cutting 
ties for this railroad, and being anxious to have the rail- 
road machine shops built in Alamance county (the people 
of Greensboro, Guilford county, were trying to get the 
shops located in their county), he started on a tour for sub- 
scriptions to this end, with $500 cash from his father and 
some more from his brother William for a beginning. The 
people of the surrounding country and of Graham sub- 
scribed liberally, after being assured that no lots would be 
sold nor business houses built where the shops were located, 
a paper to this effect being written and signed, but, unfor- 
tunately, never recorded, and later on was thought to have 
been destroyed. He was successful in his call on the peo- 
10 



146 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

pie and bought 640 acres of land near the centre of the 
road, which he donated to the railroad company, the ma- 
chine shops were built and named Company Shops, now 
called Burlington. 

After completing the railroad. General Trolinger built a 
large hotel at Haw River, the railroad directors promising 
him that all trains should stop there for meals for a term of 
thirty years ; but another hotel was built at Company Shops 
by the railroad company. This discontinued his hotel at 
Haw River and caused him to fail in 1858, and everything 
he had was sold. But being a man of great energy, he did 
not stop, but went to Clayton, Johnston county, and com- 
menced making spirits ( f turpentine. This enterprise 
proved profitable, and needing a larger area to work in, he 
moved to Richmond county, where he and his father bought 
5,000 acres of pine land for the purpose of making turpen- 
tine there. Being near the railroad running between Wil- 
mington and Charlotte, he became a contractor on this rail- 
road to aid in building it. He located on this railroad, 100 
miles west of Wilmington, and named the place Old Hun- 
dred. He was successful in his work here, but when the 
Civil war began, in 1861, foreseeing the country would 
need salt, he went below Wilmington and started two sep- 
arate salt works, in which he made at least thirty bushels 
a day. He made known to all his creditors his intention 
to pay off all his debts ; he was paying off rapidly, and if 
he had lived a few years longer he would have paid every- 
thing, and been at a good starting point again. In 186 1 
the following paper was sent to him, signed by James D. 
Radcliffe, F. L. Childs and other officers of Fort Caswell ; 

" This is to certify that Gen. Benj. N. Trollinger ren- 
dered very great service to the Garrison at Fort Caswell as 
well as to the State at large, by his unremitting labours in 
collecting, at his own expense, negroes to aid in completing 
the work at this post. The purely disinterested patriotism 
of Gen. Trollinger should, in the opinion of the officers of 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. I47 

the post, secure for him the gratitude and respect of every 
true North Carolinian." This paper was acknowledged 
before a Notary Public. 

In the summer of 1862, while at his salt works near Wil- 
mington, he was taken sick with yellow fever, but, not 
knowing he had this disease he went from there to visit 
his parents at Haw River, on arriving he was quite sick, 
and died on September 20th, 1862, and was buried with 
his kindred in the family cemetery. Thus ended a noble, 
valuable life. 

This paper was dictated by William Holt Trollinger, 
youngest son of John Trollinger, and brother of Gen. B. N. 
Trollinger. Written by W. H. Trollinger's daughter — 
Bessie Trollinger Stratford. 

Besides the Trollingers, in naming the first settlers of 
Alamance county, I will mention, the Longs, Gants, Basons, 
Freelands, Dixons, Ronys, Kerrs, Whites, Bakers, Ander- 
sons, Thomas, Blanchards, Mebanes, Cooks, Hoffmans, 
Griffiths, Sellars, Crawfords, Tates, Kings and Rippys, this 
family were the first to introduce cattle into the county, 
they made a web of tow cloth, and carried it, on foot, to 
the southern part of the State, and exchanged it with the 
Scotch people there for a pair of cattle, and drove them 
home with them. 

The Walkers were a numerous family, the older ones 
came here from England, and settled in the northern part 
of Alamance county. They were among the first to raise 
tobacco. There being no market here, they rolled their 
tobacco to Petersburg in hogsheads, it being the nearest 
market. 



CHAPTER XYII. 



THE WHITE FAMILY. 

The ancestors of the Whites who live in Orange and 
Chatham counties, came from Scotland to Ulster, Ireland. 
It is said of the Scotch-Irish that in whatever community, 
in what ever low estate they are like cork, and always bob 
up on top. This is characteristic of the Whites through- 
out their generation. 

David White, a son of that family and a Covenanter, on 
account of religious persecution, left Ulster, came to Amer- 
ica, and settled in New Sweden in the valley of the Dele- 
ware river. A historian of New Sweden said that David 
White married Miss Girkie Cornelius, September 17, 
1724, in Holy Trinity, an old Swede church. 

Their first children (iwins), Moses and Slephauus were 
born 1725. The next son Carolus was born 1727. 

I. Charles (Carolus) married Margaretta Van Culin. 
About 1760 they moved to Chatham county, then a part of 
Orani^e county. North Carolina ; settlea on Tick Creek 
near Mt. Vernon Springs ; lived there till the day of his 
death ; and was buried one mile distant in Napten Cem- 
etery. 

His sons were : Charles, Jesse, Joseph, John, David, 
Stephen ; his daughters : Susan, Ann and Charity. 

Siepheu and David were soldiers in the Revolutionary 
War. David was killed by Tories in a fight on Bushy 
Creek in Chatham. Stephen, after the war, manufactured 
gunpowder near Ore Hill. During the war of 18 12 hesuj.- 
plied the sui rounding counties and upper part of South 
Carolina with a superior quality of gunpowder, strong 
without graphite. 

Stephen White married Mary Rushton, daughter of Wil- 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. I49 

Ham and Cacy Rushton of Philadelphia. Their sons were 
Hiram White and John Calvin White. John Calvin's 
family live near Ore Hill. 

Hiram White with his family Nathaniel, Stephen Van 
and Jenny moved to Illinois September, 183 1. His son 
Nathaniel, died of consumption in Florida. Stephen Van 
White became a prominent lawyer, served in Congress from 
Illinois. In 1869 he moved to New York City, and is a 
prominent stockdealer on Wall street. 

The remainder of Charles White's children and his son 
Stephen, went west ; some to Tennessee, but most to Illi- 
nois. Their descendants, especially Joseph's, can be counted 
by the hundreds in the north west. Hon. S. Van White 
of New York, says he is almost certain that Senator White 
of California, from his striking resemblance, is of this 
branch of Whites. 

II, Stephanus, or Stephea White married Ann Ross, an 
Irish woman from Ulster, Ireland. From Pennsylvania 
they moved to Chatham county, North Carolina, being in- 
duced by the description of the country by his brother 
Charles White who preceded them one year. Now Charles 
was a Nimrod and the country suited him but Stephen was 
a man of society, by trade a shoemaker He had lived near 
Philadelphia and made for the colonial dames fine shoes 
with heels four inches high and straight as a finger. 

Not finding much call for such shoes in Chatham Wilder- 
ness, also being a strict Presbyterian and finding no church 
organization at that date on Tick Creek, he set out on his 
return to Philadelphia. On reaching the Haw Fields set- 
tlemert he mpt Joseph Freeland, the ancestor of the Free- 
lands of Orange. Mr. Freeland persuaded him to remain 
in the Haw Fields. For the price of his wagon he bought 
in 1 761, a fine tract of land now owned by the heirs of 
David Kerr, and settled near Back Creek two and a half 
miles east of Graham. Being out of funds he wished to 
buy a bushel of meal from a neighbor but was refused credit. 



150 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

However, as a shoemaker, he soon prospered and lived in 
abundance. 

It is likely that his eldest children, Ann, Susan, Charity 
and David were born in Philadelphia. Those born in 
North Carolina were John, Robert, James, Samuel, Stephen 
and Robert No. 2. 

1. Ann married James Bald ridge. They settled east of 
Hillsbo*o. He was a man of wealth, owning a mill which 
was seized by Cornwallis. He owned town lots in Hills- 
boro, many negroes, large tracts of land in Orange county, 
North Carolina, and also in Kentucky and Tennessee. 
Lindsay Woods, an elder of Little River church, married 
one of Baldrige's daughters. Their son is Dock Woods. 

2. Susan White married Samuel Mebane, a first cousin 
of Alex. Mebane, Sr. They settled on Back Creek, near 
railroad bridge, later went west. They had one son. 

3. Charity White married Rev. Wm. Hodge, who after 
preaching at Haw Fields and Cross Roads from 1782, to 
1800, moved to Kentucky and preached at Shiloh church. 
He was a great evangelist. 

4. David White jr., at seventeen years of age was at the 
battle of Gates defeat at Camden, South Carolina, in the 
Norih Carolina militia. He stated that on advancing to 
attack the British they met them coming to attack the Con- 
tinental army. At the first fire his regiment retreated. He 
stood at the right of the Irish regulars and, on his second 
fire, took aim at a mounted officer riding up from the left. 
He supposed he killed him. Being closely pressed he 
turned and fired retreating. He married Elizabeth Allen, 
daughter of John Allen, who lived two miles south we.^^t of 
Haw Fields, not far from Melville. Their only child was 
Mary who married Samuel Kerr, whose children were D. 
W. Kerr and Mrs. Margaret Scott, the mother of Hon. R. 
W. Scott. 

5. John White married Miss Shaw. They had but two 
children, Stephen, " Big Steve," and Anna. Anna married 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 15I 

twice, first, George Stephen. Their children were John 
and Elizabeth, the daughter marrying Mathew Ray of Mt. 
Herman family of Rays. Anna's second husband was 
Anderson Horn, their children, Martha and Mary. Mr. 
Horn with his family, including his two step-children 
moved to Ohio, settling near Cheillicothe, 

'' Big |Steve " married Miss Boon, went west and was 
lost. The father John White died in 1851, aged eighty-two, 
and is buried at Haw Fields. 

6. James White married Amelia Faucette. Their chil- 
dren were, "Little Stephen" or "Elder Steve," Thomas, 
Robert, George, Elizabeth Jane. 

a. Stephen married Isabella Johnston whose children 
were, Sarah Jane married Sidney Thompson of Mt. Her- 
mon ; John married Fanny Battle of Tarboro, North Caro- 
lina. They live at Rocky Mount, North Carolina ; James 
died at Ashland Virginia, April 1862. He belonged to the 
6th North Carolina Infantry ; Amelia married x^rmstrong 
Tate, Clerk of Court of Alamance county, whose children 
are Lula Margaret, Mrs H. J. Stockard and Henryetta, 
Mis. McBiide Holt; Eliza lives at Rocky Mount; Mary 
died in early life. Stephen White, the father, died at 
eighty-five years of age and is buried at Haw Fields. 

h. Thomas White is married and lives in South Carolina ? 

c. Robert F. manied ]\Iary Woods, grand daughter of 
Capt. Jas. Mebane of Revolutionary fame. Their children 
were, William, James Richard, Elizabeth who married Mr. 
Johnson and went to Tennessee, and Fannie. Robt. White 
died aged eighty-four and his wife agtd eighty-one. 

d. Thomas White married in 1833 Mary Ellis, daughter 
of Rev. Ira Ellis. Their children ; James Ira married 
Martha Dixon, Wm. Paisley, Thomas jr. William Paisley 
and Graham killed at first battle of Manassas, color bearer. 

e. George W. White married Maria Holt in 1850, daugh- 
ter of Isaac Holt. Their children : Mary Elizabeth mar- 
ried Right Hooker of Hillsboro, George Paisley White who 
went to Atlanta. 



152 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE 

/. Elizabeth Jane White married John Thompson. They 
settled near Culbreth's bridge. She lived but a few years 
and left one daughter, Alartitia, who married John Leoni- 
das Scott Albright of Columbus, Mississippi. 

7. Samuel White married Nancy Mebane, daughter of 
Capt, Jas. Mebane, in 1808. 

1. Margaret died aged 66. 

2. Samuel Mebane White married Adeline Pureyear in 
1848. Their children:— 

a. Fannie Vaughn married Thomas Andrews of Char- 
lotte, N. C. 

h. Ann Mebane married Robert Hodge of Orange county, 
N. C. 

c. Seymore Pureyear went west. 

d. Lucy married George Curtis of Alamance. 

e. P'lora McDonald White. 
f. Jennie White. 

3. Josiah J. White married Margaret Andrews, 1845. They 
settled at Ore Hill, N. C. Their children— 
a. Frank, M. C. 
h, David, Y. 

c, William 

d. Emma. 
c. Addie. 
/: John. 
g. Daniel. 

h. R. Wesley. 
/. Marion Frances. 
j. Mattie. 
k Joseph. 
/. Nannie. 

Frank married Miss Edwards. 
David married (i) Miss Cheek, (2) Miss Kirkman. 
R. Wesley married Miss Harvey, of Guilford county. 
Addie married Rawdon Vann, of Sampson county. 
Mattie married Mebane Elmore. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 1 53 

David married Carrie Cheek. 

William, David M., and Charles White reside in Bur- 
ling-ton, the other members of the family at Ore Hill, N. C. 

4. Stephen A. White married Mary Jane Woods in 1854. 
a Charles was drowned at 17 years of age. 

b. Eugene. 

c. David, A., furniture iactory at Mebane, N. C. 

d William, E., furniture factory at Mebane, N. C. 
c. Frank Lee. 

f. Stephen Arthur, in U. S. Mail Service, Cardenas, 

Cuba. 

g. Samuel, A. B. of University of N. C, bookkeeper. 
//. Nannie married Dr. Chas. Miller, Asheville, N. C. 
i. Carrie. 

/. Myrtie. 

5. David White served five years in regular army of United 

States, was in many battles under General Scott. 

6. Capt. B. F. White was prepared for college by Dr. Alex- 

ander Wilson at Melville, N. C. He taught i856-'6i 
at Battleboro, Edgecombe. He served in the Sixth 
N. C. Regiment in Confederate War, going out as Sec- 
ond Lieutenant. On the death of Capt. R. F. Carter 
he was made Captain of Company F. of " Haw Field 
Boys." He was wounded four times, twice severely ; 
spent nineteen months as prisoner of war at Sandusky 
City, Johnson Island. Capt. White married Pattie O. 
V. Harvour, of Halifax county, Va. Their children — 

a. Harvey Phillips, soldier in the regular United States 

Army, Battery O., Second Artillery, Havana, Cuba. 

b. Jessie H., stenographer for White Bros., Mebane, 

N. C. 

c. Benton Virginius. 

d. Pattie E. 

Capt. White lives near Mebane, N. C. 

7. Fannie J. White married Capt. John M. McLaen, of 

Guilford county, N. C. She died in 1896, aged -ji 
years. 



154 THE HISTORY OF ALA-MANCE. 

8. Hliza White married Harrison Harvour, 1862. She 
died in 1882, aged 66 years. 

Moses White, son of David and Girke White, was at 
Braddack's defeat, and was under Arnold in Revolutionary 
War in his expedition into Canada. After the revolution 
he went to Kentucky. He is remembered as a gay, hila- 
Tous old man, danced and played the fiddle. 

Joseph White, his brother, was also at Braddack's defeat 
and in the Canada expedition. He became a Philadelphia 
merchant. 

Their sister married Mr. Herman. One morning, at first 
of Indian and French War, the wife arose to find the cows 
in the garden. When she left the house to put them out 
she was seized by an Indian. Her cries brought her hus- 
band to the door, gun in hand. The Indian kept the wo- 
man between himself and the gun. The husband was 
killed, the house plundered, the baby's brains dashed out 
against a tree, the woman and her children carried west. 
In crossing the Ohio River on horseback the youngest 
child, 3 1/2 years old, became frightened and was knocked off 
the horse and let drown. The woman and her two remain- 
ing children were carried forward into the State of Ohio. 
One night while her guards were asleep she escaped. In 
the woods she found a mare with a young colt. She made 
a bridle of a grape vine, and returned to the settlements after 
a two week's journey, living entirely on the milk of the 
mare and a nest of bird eggs she found. After peace was 
declared and prisoners returned it was with difficulty she 
knew her children. 

Stephen White died in 1818, aged 83 years; Ann White 
<3ied in 1819, aged 85 years. 

Joseph White, second son of Stephen and Ann, married 
Hannah Bryan. Their children — 

a. William (1801-44.) 

h. Ann married George Allen; they had a large family. 

Joe Allen went to California in 1849, became a success- 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 1 55 

ful miner. His family moved to Texas. On his return, 
the Independence, the vessel on which he was sailing, while 
coasting along lower California struck a reef and founded. 
He had on his person |2,ooo in gold, by its weight dis- 
abling him to swim far. He sank and was lost. 

William, a second son of George and Ann Allen, became 
a prominent lawyer. He belonged to the Fourth Texas 
Regiment and was killed in the charge on Porter, second 
day's fight below Richmond. 

Washington, a third son, was sheriff of his county in 
Texas after the war of 1861. 

The Allen daughters were : Leticia, a teacher, Nancy, 
Hannah, Mary, Cornelia. All married in Texas. 



CHAPTER XYIII. 



JUDGE JESSE TURNER. 
(By his wife, Mrs. Rebecca A. Turner.) 

The near ancestors of the subject of this sketch were of 
Scotch-Irish stock. James Turner, the paternal grand- 
father, and William Clendenen, the maternal grandfather, 
were natives of County Down, Ireland, from whence they 
imigrated to Lancaster county, Pennsylvannia, about 1750. 
From Pennsylvannia, James Turner moved to Orange 
county, North Carolina, about 1755, and William Clen- 
denen about 1758, Mhere James Turner, the father, and 
Rebecca Clendenen, the mother, of him of whom we write, 
were born, the former about 1758, atid the later about 1767. 

That this ancestry retained its Whig proclivities is evi- 
dent ; for we find that they were active in that early protest 
against the exactions and oppressions of lawyers and other 
court officials which culminated in the war of the Regula- 
tion ; and that these same ancestors subsequently, in the 
war of the Revolution, stood to a man on the side of the 
Colonists. A maternal uncle was Captain Clendenen. 
The rest weie soldiers of the line. 

With the inherited vantage of the blood of patriots in 
his veins, soon after the opening of the present century, in 
a homestead granted his father for servicts rendered in the 
war, surrounded by the beautiful hills and clear runniog 
brooks of Old Orange, Jesse Turner first saw the light. 

He was reared among a people, honest, sturdy aud true ; 
and into his eager ears were told from grandsire and sire 
stirring tales of the struggle for independence and of prison 
life in the British hulks which lay in Charleston harbor. 
In an old field school house, with Daniel C. Turrentine as 
master (blessed be his memory and that of all his craft ! ) 
young Jesse's first education was obtained. That the pupil 



THK HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. I57 

thirsted for knowledge is certain, for the well authenticat- 
ed tradition is still extant that it was his wont to sit, book 
in hand, by the great log fire during the long winter even- 
ings, and that often when dawn summoned the household 
to their daily tasks, the tired liitle student still sat in his 
chair. 

At an early age he left the farm and commenced the 
study of law at Chapel Hill, under William McCauley. 
Subsequently, he became a member of the household of 
Archibald D. Murphey, of the Superior Court of North 
Carolina. Under his tutelage he continued his legal 
studies, and, at the age of nineteen, was admitted to prac- 
tice in his court, rectiving at the same time words of high 
commendation from the great judge. These words were 
never forgotten, but were referred to with deep feeling 
where, after the lapse of more than two generations, age 
has laid its hand on the recipient. 

And now commenced an active career at the bar which, 
in duration, stands almost unexampled. The times were, 
in some respects, propitious for the great venture, for he 
entered the practice at a time when a very high estimate 
was placed on the integrity and influence of the legal pro- 
fession, and he was foitunate in selecting at the threshold 
of his career, as models for guidance and emulation, such 
men as Murphey, Mangum, Nash, Cameron, Gaston and 
Graham. 

At this time, too, was commenced a course of reading, 
which widened with the years — a course which was never 
wholly abandoned. Then was laid the foundations on 
which was subsequently reared a singularly solid and mas- 
sive knowledge of English history and of Knglish litera- 
ture, of Ameiican history and American literature. He 
became intimately familiar with the great masters of 
parliamentary eloquence — Chatham, Burke, Sheridan and 
Fox, and with those equally great masters of forensic elo- 
quence, Erskine and Curran. He also acquired a remark- 



158 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

ably accurate knowledge of the temper and tenets of politi- 
cal parties, and of all the nice shadings of opinion held by 
all the statesmen of every period in our country's history. 

In 1827 he removed to Asheboro, Wayne county, where 
he remained until April, 1830, That he had already reach- 
ed some prominence in his profession, appears from the 
fact that, at this period, he was intrusted with the defence 
of an action against the i-heriff of the county for a false 
return. 

In 1830 he left his native State, never to return, except 
on occassional visits, and went to Bellefonte, Jackson 
county, Alabarna, where he remained but a few months. 
From Alabama he mo\ ed in 1831 to Arkansas. In that 
year he located in Crawford county ard in 1838, at Van 
Buren, its county-seat, where he resided continuously until 
his death. 

Arriving in Arkansas in territorial days, he came in con- 
tact with the leading spirits who paved the way to state- 
hood and was elected a member of the second Legislature. 
Among the eminent men who were on the stage of action 
at this time, some of whom were, like himself, ardent Whigs, 
and some of whom were not less ardent Democrats, but 
with all of whom he mingled in amity, were Robert Crit- 
tenden, (a younger brother of John J. Crittenden), Ambrose 
Sevier and Chester Ashley, afterwards United States Sena- 
tor from Arkansas, Judges Benjamin Johnson and Andrew 
Scott, James Woodson Bates, Daniel Ringo, William Cum- 
mins, Absolem Fowler, David Walker a ad Albert Pike. 

In 1840 he was elected president of the Young ]\Ien's 
Whig Convention, which convened at Little Rock, and until 
that great party ceased to exist he remained through all its 
vicisitudes its staunch and able defender. " He helped to 
rock it in its cradle and was a sincere mourner at its 
funeral." But while he was an active partisan in those 
days, he always had an utter abhorance of the place seeker; 
as is somewhat humorously illustrated by an incident in 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 1 59 

his career. We are told that he journeyed to Washing^ton 
and while there called at the White House. Something 
was said to him by President Tyler about an office which, 
it was taken for granted, he was seeking. Rising quickly, 
he said to the President: "Office, sir? I want no office; I 
came to pay my respects to the President of the United 
States." 

In 1841 he was appointed a visitor to the United States 
Military Academy at West Point. 

When the United States Court for the Western District 
of Arkansas was created, Mr. Turner was appointed by 
President Filmore its first attorney. This honor came, as 
did every other honor during his long career, unsought. The 
Court for the Western District had a vast jurisdiction over 
the Indian Territory; a jurisdiction which has since made 
this court the greatest criminal tribunal in the land. The 
responsible office of District Attorney he filled acceptably 
until his term expired with the close of the Filmore ad- 
ministration. 

But Mr. Turner's energies were not all expended in stren- 
uous contentions in the forum and on the hustings. He 
was ever keenly alive to all which tended to advance the 
material interests of his country. Accordingly he was al- 
ways found among the foremost advocates of every public 
improvement. 

Early in the history of the organization of the first rail- 
way entering Arkansas, he was chosen one of its directors, 
and from 1857 to 1868 was its president. He preserved 
intact the interests of the projected road through the troub- 
lous war periods and lived to see the completion of a great 
steel highway along the Valley of the Arkansas — a high- 
way which, after his death, remains a monument to his 
memory and that of his associates. 

During the agitation which lead up to secession Mr. Tur- 
ner was a strong advocate for the maintenance of the Union 
of States, and exerted all his influence and powers for its 



l6o THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

preservation. He believed with Madison and others of the 
Fathers, that the United States was federative rather than 
national in its origin and character. He held, also, that 
the United States was a nation with the inherent power of 
self preservation, and he never believed that secession or 
nullification were recognized undci the Constitution as 
remedies for political wrongs, real or imaginary. 

He was a member of the State convention of February, 
1861, which voted down the ordinance of secession and 
which then adjourned to meet in the following May. In 
the interim hostilities commenced, the sentiments of the 
people changed, and Mr. Turner, in compliance with the 
instructions of his constituents, reluctantly cast his vote 
for the ordinance. He took no part whatever in the con- 
flict which followed, acting only the part of a Good Samari- 
tan to all as occasion came. 

On the emergence of the State from military to civil rule, 
he became a member and a leader of the first Legislature. 
With the whole political face of things changed, it required 
a wise study and discernment to bring order out of chaos. 
As chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the Senate 
came to the mind, heart and hand of Jesse Turner serious 
and responsible work. 

He was unalterably opposed to the scheme of reconstruc- 
tion, not only because he deemed it harsh and impolitic, 
but lacking in constitutional statesmanship as well. 

After the State government, intrenched in povver during 
the days of reconstruction, had been overthrown, and the 
people had come to their own, and the constitution of 1874 
was framed, Mr. Turner became a member of the first Leg- 
islature, and he was again chairman of the Senate Judiciary 
Committee, and strove with signal ability in overcoming 
the obstacles presented by an empty treasury and a State 
without credit. 

He was a delegate-at-large from Arkansas to the National 
Democratic Convention of 1876 and cast his vote for Sam- 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. l6l 

uel J. Tilden. He always referred to this vote with min- 
gled pride and indignation, for he believed that Mr. Tilden 
had been unjustly deprived of the Presidency. 

In 1878 he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of 
Jndge Walker on the Supreme Bench of Arkansas, and was 
afterwards, at various times appointed Special Judge in 
important cases in that court. His judicial opinions are 
found in Volumes 32, ^^y 34 and 35, Arkansas Reports. 

Id the last decade of his life he sat largely behind the 
stage of action, but remained to the last an interested spec- 
tator of the drama, and he never lost his touch on the vital 
public interests As late as 1893 ^^ worked hard and ef- 
fectively for the representation of Arkansas at the World's 
Columbian Exposition. He attended the great fair, and 
during his extended stay, with loving filial step, he daily 
went to the exhibit of the Old North State, taking pardon- 
able pride on the fact that the official register showed him 
to be the oldest person in attendance. It is safe to say that 
few in all that vast concourse saw with as clear a vision the 
splendid significance of the great display. 

On his return from Chicago his days passed in the regu- 
lar routine of his professional duties, lightened by a part- 
nership with his only son. On the very last day of his life 
he was still the practicing lawyer. On the evening of that 
day, while in attendance at a public lecture given for a 
public benefaction, the summons to immortality came with 
sudden, painless touch, and from among the congregated 
people — his friends and neighbors — he passed out forever. 

As a lawyer. Judge Turner never enlisted in a cause that 
did not seem to have justice on its side. He was always 
conscientious and thorough in the preparation of his cases, 
and, eschewing mere technicalities, drove straight to the 
heart of the question, relying more largely for success on 
an accurate application of general principles to the question 
presented for solution than in the mere citation of adjudi- 
cated cases. 
II 



1 62 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

As a public speaker, he was always earnest, sincere and 
incisive — often weighty and impressive. In conversation, 
he drew at will on a vast store of learning and reminiscence 
•expressed in quaint, racy and idiomatic language. In hab- 
its, he was temperate. In his opinions, he was moderate, 
but firm, and only yielded them to conviction. In temper- 
ament, he was ardent, with a deep under-current of feeling 
stirring his nature ; but he possc-sed an inherent dignity 
which saved him from being loudly demonstrative. He 
was full of charity and benevolence, and in his religious 
views he was liberal, believing in the law of compensation, 
in rewards and punishments, and that our status in the life 
to come is determined by our conduct in this life. 

Perhaps there is no better epitome of his life and char- 
acter than is contained in the lines carved on his tomb : 

" In loving memory of Jesse Turner. A native 
of Orange County, North Carolina, but during, 
and ever since territorial days, a resident of Ar- 
kansas, where, at the bar and in public life, for 
more than sixty years, he stood a foremost citizen; 
and when he went hence, death left his name 
without reproach. 

October 3, 1805 November 22, 1894. 

"His hope was full of immortality." 



CHAPTER XIX. 



NAMES. 



Surname is an additional name frequently descriptive, 
as in Harold Harefoot ; specifically, a name added to the 
baptismal or Christian name and becoming a family name. 
English surnames originally designated occupations, estate, 
place of lesidence, or some particular thing or event that 
related to the person. Surnames as family names were 
unknown before the middle of the eleventh century, except 
in rare cases where a family " established a fund for the 
deliverance of souls of certain ancestors from purgatory." 
[Ency. Brit.] The use of surnames made slow progress 
and was not entirely established till after the thirteenth 
century. 

A "to-name" is a name in addition to the Christian 
name and surname of a person to distinguish him from oth- 
ers of the same name, and usually indicating descent, place 
of residence or some personal quality or attribute. Such to- 
names are often emp oyed where the same families inter- 
marry and where, consequently, the same name is common 
to many individuals. The possession of a surname, a to- 
name, a name in addition to the Christian name, had be- 
gun in the twelfth century to be looked on as a needful 
badge of noble birth. 

Names — whether belonging to individuals or places — 
are not mere arbitrary sounds. They may be regarded as 
records of the past — mines for research and historical inter- 
pretation. In many instances the original import of such 
names has faded away, or has become disguised in the lapse 
of ages ; but the symbol when discovered is full — fraught 
with instruction. Names may indicate emigrations, immi- 
grations, the commingling of races by war and conquest, or 
by peaceful process of commerce. Names embalm for us 



164 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

fashions of speech in remote eras. A name is a living 
thing, magical, enduring, conjuring up the past and de- 
termining the future. 

The name of Holstein means the Forest settlement, once 
a vast forest which supplied a portion of the Angels with 
the materials for the fleets with which they invaded the 
shores of England. The bare heaths to the southwest of 
-London seem to have been at one time partially clothed 
with forest. This is indicated by the root, holt (German 
holz) which is to be found in the names of Bagshot, Bads- 
Tiot, Ewshot, Lodshot, Bramshot, Aldersholt and Holt. 
Holt meant a coppice or small thicket ; its companion word 
is Hurst which meant a large forest. But Holt, Hurst, Hirst 
and Wood were originally the same. Chaucer speaks of 
* holtes and hayes.' 'De la Holt is of frequent occurrence in 
early records. Holt is the name of the Jesuit Priest in 
Thackery's Henry Esmond. 

Holz is German, Holt is Anglo-Saxon; Weald, Wold and 
wood are English ; Wald is German ; all mean wood or 
forest. 

Shaw is an English name meaning wood, a shady place, 
its Anglo Saxon form is sceaga. 

Caer, Car, are Welsh names ; Ker is Brezonec ; all rela- 
ted to cAstra, a camp or to cathair, a fortress. So Kirk 
meant church ; Kirkpatrick meant a churchbird ; patrick 
being a derivative for partridge, a church partridge. Trol- 
linger was once Strolinger, the man who strolled or wan 
dered. It is German like Barringer. Hall, Anglo Saxon, 
is stone house. Worth, Anglo Saxon is inclosure. Henly 
meant one who stays at home, hen being home. Guthrie, 
Keltic, meant a roidway, it may be Scotch, meaning water. 
Overman is one who lived on the shore. Moore is Anglo 
Saxon meaning a lake. Eindley is Keltic meaning one 
who lived by a pool. Goly is an Asiatic word meaning a 
river god, or one by a river. Woody, too, means water. 



THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 165 

Long, or lorg, meant a plain. Pickard meant a promontory. 
Faust or Foust, German, means lucky. Isley meant water, 
one who lived on an island. Zachary is Jewish. Shoffner 
meant carpenter. Hawkins, Harkin meant son of Harry. 
Carroll meant Charles, French. Barnwell, Dutch, was 
once Barn welt. Murray, Moray, Morrow, Scotch name of 
a place, is the Sea. Sharp is a German descriptive name, 
sharpe. Ingle is a Scotch name, by the fireside, hearth- 
stone. Mitchell, Michael is Semitic probably, St. Michael 
was Lucifer's opponent. Kime, German, meant home. 
Montgomery is French, Mount of Gomery, brought over by 
Normans to England. Erwin, Scotch, was name of a river. 
Cates, another form of Gates, one who lived near the 
gate, a narrow passage. Tate, French, means head. Ellis 
is a contraction of Elisha. Hartsal is German, a forest, 
another forest, or white, like the Elbe River deer. Stafford 
is English, a riverford. Mebane if Scotch is same name as 
McBane, but Mebane may be Hugnenot. Mc. means son 
of. Bane means white, son of a white man. Amick is from 
the Latin amicus a friend. Turner is English, a furniture 
maker, turner one who makes wood round, chairs, bed- 
posts, etc. 

Alamance was once Allemance, Alemanz, Alamans, Ale- 
manni. I think it is German, however, it may be Indian 
as many agree. But the above forms have been found to 
run into each other. 

Alamans or Alemanni was the name of a German race 
who occupied the region from the Main to the Damibe in 
the third century. That territory extended later to the 
Rhine and included Alsace and part of eastern Switzerland. 

Then Alamance may be of Old High German origin, its 
meaning, "all men," "men of all nations." The country 
now known as Alamance county. North Carolina, was set- 
tled by Germans from this district as other names indicate, 
e.g.^ Albright, Foust, Holt, and it is probable, they, not the 
Indians, named the creek on which they settled, Alamance. 



l66 THE HISTORY OF ALAMANCE. 

From it the county was named by Mrs. Giles Mebane in 
1848. 

It is certain that Alamance was settled by Germans but 
I am not certain that they came from the old Alemanni. 
But the Albrights came from the river Rhine. That is 
family history. 

The name Albright is German, its first form being Al- 
bert, Albrecht, Allbreght, then Albright. In iioo there 
lived in Germany an Albright surname to " Bear " others 
later surnamed the "Tall," and the '-Proud." One was 
elector of Brandenburg in 11 50, another, Duke of Austria, 
others the founders of the house of Mechlenburg, King of 
Sweden. The first duke of Prussia was named Albrecht, 
1568. An Albrecht was archbishop of Magdeburg in 1513, 
archbishop and elector of Mains in 15 14, and cardinal in 
151 8. To him was entrusted the sale of indulgences in the 
district of Germany, and Tetzel, Luther's antagonist, acted 
as his commissioner. Colonel Albright who fought with 
President Kruger in South Africa, is now a prisoner of war 
at St. Helena. 



FINIS. 



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MAR 11934 



